Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This morning I want to raise a serious situation that is happening at the moment in Navan. Production has been halted in Tara Mines. People will know that Tara Mines is the largest zinc mine in Europe. It is critical to the economy of my town, but also to the wider north-east area, because some 700 people are directly employed in that mine where production has halted. Many hundreds more people are indirectly employed as well. Yesterday, while drilling a pilot raise borehole for a ventilation shaft, a high flow of water was encountered. That caused the production to be stopped. The flow of volume of water exceeded the capacity of the de-watering infrastructure in the mine. It is a serious situation. Production has been stopped for health and safety, to protect the infrastructure and the equipment and to try to eliminate unnecessary addition of water into the mine. I am seeking any assistance that the State can give Tara Mines this morning. Various taoisigh have visited the mine due to its critical importance to our export market and to our economy. It is a specialised area. We should consider any support that we can give to it. As I said, it is the largest zinc mine in Europe. There are 700 people employed there. Exploration was currently ongoing where a new body of ore was identified that would add an extra 50 years to life of this mine. We cannot see that jeopardised. Given the seriousness of the situation, anything that we can do as a State to assist these people this morning, I will do so, for the workers and for the future of the mine.