Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am keen to draw on some of the contributions. I thank Senator Mark Daly for his support for the Bill. We had an extended conversation around safety, the nature of previous legislation and what happens after. He referred to the taxpayer bearing responsibility for the aftermath. We could use the example of Avoca mines. It will possibly take in the range of €50 million to put together a proper plan to deal with all the issues in Avoca. That is a great deal of money and this is why Avoca is an example of where the Department is trying to deal with an issue after the event. It is happening on the ground and great work is going on at local and community level. There is potential in the area and great ideas are coming from the community around potential industrial heritage tourism projects. Anyway, the major issue at the moment is safety and that is where the Department is focused at the moment.

That is an extreme example. There are existing ring-fenced closure funds for the likes of Galmoy and Lisheen mines. There is ring-fenced money for those sites going through the process of closure at the moment. Lisheen will be closing soon. The adequacy of bonds is an example of one of the issues we can tease out and continue the conversation on.

One Senator referenced the language of legislation and made reference to the CPO. This is in the legislation but it will probably never happen. Reference was made to the taxpayer ending up with the bill. To familiarise myself with mining activity, something I was not familiar with prior to getting this post, I have been to Avoca and Navan. I have been down the Boliden mine in Navan. It is something else to drive into the mine and see what is going on there.It was very interesting to hear the first-hand account of people from the area who have spent decades mining in Navan and their very sharp focus on health and safety and doing the job as professionally as possible within the various constraints and challenges regarding environmental and community considerations.

Senator Noone mentioned legacy mine sites. I do not want to revisit that matter. She referred to the economic output of €426 million, consideration of the Aarhus Convention and the outcome of public participation. Public participation is critical at an early stage. We have it in the aftermath in Wicklow, which is positive, but this must happen before, during and after.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh referred to dolomitic limestone, which is being re-examined. He also has concerns about privatisation. I assure him the State can take privately-owned minerals. The Senator also posed questions about prospecting in sensitive SACs in Connemara. As he knows, if the proper processes - such as, for example, an environmental impact study - are undergone in respect of an SAC in Connemara, houses can still be built there. The fear on the part of the people in such areas is the cost of going through the process. Mineral mining can happen in SAC areas. At present, having a prospecting licence does not give someone the green light to mine because there are local authority and environmental impact considerations that go with it. Wearing my other hat, I am aware that there is a big debate regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland which will require legislation to establish who owns the rivers. We really need to get to the bottom of all of these considerations regarding ownership going back not decades but several hundred years.

Senator Healy Eames acknowledged the work of the Royal Irish Academy's pairing system. I launched the scheme several months ago. It is a good scheme because we are all, whether Deputies, Senators or councillors, practising politicians and there is constant tension between science and community. There is a black-and-white scientific approach which can sometimes upset communities but we need to bridge the gap. The best way to do so is through schemes such as the pairing system and I wish the Senator well with it. Senator Healy Eames asked whether the legislation recognises the rights of the citizen. Of course it does. It brings the community in at an early stage. With regard to exemptions from the Planning Acts, there is obviously a role for the planning authority also.

Senator Hayden referenced the fact that the legislation has been in preparation for five years and she referred to the former Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte. I would like refer to Frank Sheridan who retired this summer. He was a very dedicated official who was very much involved bringing the legislation to this point. I also acknowledge the other officials and former officials who have brought Bill to where it is at today. Senator Hayden also spoke about abandoned sites and I mentioned Lisheen and Galmoy. There has been much community engagement and positive work in Avoca and the local authority is also involved. I have visited the site with Deputy Andrew Doyle. Acute safety issues arise there and it is on these that the Department is focusing. Senator Hayden acknowledged the Tellus programme. What she said is correct because that programme has been phenomenally beneficial, not only to the Department but also to local authorities in the context of examining water tables and other environmental considerations. The data being collected through geochemical and airborne surveying is critical and will help us as we deal further with the legislation.