These events led to the establishment in June 1999 of an inter-agency group chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development under the Askeaton protocol. The group included representatives of the then Department of Marine and Natural Resources and was tasked with investigating the presence and influence of lead in the Silvermines area. The group's report in June 2000 made 39 recommendations for the remediation and long-term management of former mine sites in the area.