Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me raise this matter again. I have raised it on a number of previous occasions but the context is now considerably altered. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources urgently needs to make a decision on a report currently sitting on his desk relating to the future plans for the rehabilitation of old mine sites in the Silvermines area.

As the Minister knows, this issue has been a source of considerable concern since 1999, but it has come to a head in the past year. The Department, the EPA, the county council and the local community have worked together, but have struggled to come to a position where Mogul of Ireland would come up with a plan acceptable to all, involving the rehabilitation of those mine sites in the Silvermines area for which the company is responsible.

When the latest "final report"— to use a Department term — sent from Mogul to the Department was circulated to the interested parties it did not meet any standard by which it could satisfactorily be considered as a rehabilitation plan. The county council, the EPA, the local community and the consultants, SRK, all had major concerns. The report was seriously substandard regarding what needs to be done, not only on the tailings pond but on other sites also.

If I can speak specifically on the tailings pond, what is needed is a rehabilitation plan to ensure that erosion, which is now quite rampant on surface of the pond, would be ended and controlled in the future. A proposal to put low-grade compost, which is unacceptable for spreading on agricultural land, on the surface of the tailings pond could not meet the requirements of such a rehabilitation plan.

A series of flaws in the proposal make it unacceptable. My understanding is that a report has been given to the Minister by officials in his Departments setting out the current situation. I do not know what is in that report because, quite rightly, the officials cannot say. It is up to the Minister to make a decision on that report, however, it has been with the Minister since early March.