Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá mé ag ardú ceist a bhaineann leis an taiscéalaíocht agus an mianadóireacht atá pleanáilte i gCarna i gContae na Gaillimhe, maidir leis an obair atá déanta go dáta, na torthaí a fuarthas, agus na hoibreacha breise atá beartaithe. An bhfuil imní ar Roinn an Aire Stáit maidir leis na himpleachtaí diúltacha comhshaoil atá, nó a d'fhéadfadh a bheith, ag na gníomhaíochataí seo? Mar atá fhios ag an Aire Stáit, tá taiscéalaíocht ar bun maidir le mianadóireacht i gceantar an Mhása i gCarna le tamall anuas. Sa dtír i gcoitinne, tá suas le 600 ceadúnas eisithe faoi láthair ó thaobh taiscéalaíochta de. Baineann an ceann acu atá i gceist anseo le MOAG Copper-Gold Resources. Tugann sé cead dó dul ag cuartú airgid agus miotail eile i gceantar an Mhása i gCarna i gContae na Gaillimhe agus i gceantar a shíneann ar feadh 45 km uaidh sin. Tá stráice mór talún i gceist ansin ina bhféadfadh an comhlacht bheith ag druileáil.

De réir tuairiscí nuachta a bhfuair muid ag tús na bliana, is léir go bhfuair an comhlacht roinnt mianraí sa láthair sin. Is cosúil gurb é molybdenum an mianra is mó a tháinig chun cinn. Ní fear mór eolaíochta mé ach, de réir mar a thuigim, is miotal faoi leith é seo a úsáidtear i dtionscail éagsúla, an tionscal cruach san áireamh, agus tá leáphointe an-ard aige. Deireann an tuarisc go raibh an oiread molybdenum ar an láthair áirithe sin gur bhfiú don chomhlacht dul ar aghaidh agus mianadóireacht ar scála níos mó a dhéanamh agus go bhféadfadh go mbeidh buntáiste mór ag an gcomhlacht as.

An fáth a bhfuil mé ag cur na ceiste sin ná go bhfuil roinnt daoine sa gceantar ag clámhsan maidir leis an méid oibre atá déanta go dtí seo ó thaobh tástála agus druileála de. Chuir sé as do roinnt tithe sa gceantar ó thaobh torainn, feithiclí agus mar sin de. Tá daoine ag iarraidh fáil amach cá bhfuil muid ag dul ina dhiadh seo. An bhfuil iarratas déanta ag an gcomhlacht ar cheadúnas níos leithne? An bhfuil sé ag caint leis an Roinn faoi sin? Má tá sé ag caint leis an Roinn faoi mhianadóireacht bhreise, céard iad na himpleachtaí comhshaoil don cheantar? Céard a bheadh i gceist leis seo? Cé chomh mór agus a d'fhéadfadh an mianach seo a bheith? Cén cúlra atá ag an gcomhlacht MOAG? An raibh aon deacrachtaí leis in aon áit eile ar an domhan seo?

Ar cheist níos leithne, agus is ceist a d'ardaigh muid ó thaobh acmhainní nadúrtha na tíre seo, braitheann muid nach bhfuil an Stát ag fáil buntáiste sách mór as na hacmhainní nadúrtha - ola agus gás ach go háirithe. Braitheann muid go bhfuil na ceadúnais i bhfad ró-mhaith do na comhlachtaí atá i gceist. Ó thaobh chúrsaí chomhshaoil, an raibh fadhb go dtí seo leis na ceadúnais agus an méid oibre atá déanta? Má tá sé i gceist ceadúnas níos mó a thabhairt le haghaidh mianadóireacht a dhéanamh, cén cosaint a chuirfear ann ó thaobh an chomhshaoil de?

Cén buntáiste a bheidh ag an Stát as an obair seo? Maidir le cúrsaí aschuir agus an méid airgid atá sa tionscal seo, i 2012 bhí turnover, mar a déarfaí i mBéarla, de €426 milliún ann agus tá riar mhaith daoine fostaithe ar an tionscal, ach tá ráta cánach chorparáide de 25% do na mianaigh agus ráta de 12.5% ar an teacht isteach. Is dóigh go mbreathnaíonn sé sin mór ach, a oiread leis an tionscal gáis agus ola, is féidir write-off a dhéanamh ar chuid mhaith den chaiteachas a bhí ann ó thaobh an cuartú do na mianraí seo. Tá allúntas caiptil ar fáil ó thaobh na taiscéalaíochta, costais forbartha, costais innealra, costais foirgneamh agus mar sin de. Is féidir 100% de sin a fháil ar ais. Is féidir write-off a dhéanamh ar na costais a bhaineann leis an bhforbairt ar fad agus ar dhúnadh mianach ina dhiadh sin. Cé go mbreathnaíonn sé go bhféadfadh sé go mbeidh buntáiste mór ag an Stát, tá ceist ann faoi sin. Bheadh mé ag súil le soiléiriú ón Aire Stáit ar chuid de na ceisteanna seo.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an cheadúnas sirtheoireachta don chomhlacht MOAG ó Cheanada a phlé. Tá ceadúnas sirtheoireachta i lámh MOAG do cheantar PL 934, atá lonnaithe i gCarna, Conamara. Tá oifig agus áit stórála faighte ag MOAG ar léas ó Údarás na Gaeltachta i gCarna. Tá triúr ón cheantar fostaithe go páirt-aimseartha. Is iad na dualgais atá orthu ná déileáil le cúrsaí taistil agus bainistíochta, agus cabhrú chun na samplaí cloch a fháil. Ba mhaith liom a chinntiú do gach duine, agus go háirithe pobal iar-Chonamara, go bhfuil iniúchadh ar an eastóscadh mianraigh molybdenum seo á dhéanamh ag an chaighdeán is airde agus is géire. Is é meas don chomhshaol an príomhthosaíocht. Tá sé tábhachtach, sular tosaíonn comhlacht ar bith ag mianadóireacht ar mianraí, go gcaithfidh sé cead pleanála a fháil ón údarás áitiúil agus ceadúnas truaillithe a fháil ón EPA. Ní mór measúnacht tionchair timpeallachta a dhéanamh freisin.Ina theannta sin, ní féidir mianadóireacht a dhéanamh gan áis mianadóireachta Stáit ón Aire. Tá ráiteas i mBéarla agam anseo ón Roinn. Tá sé faighte ag an Seanadóir ansin.

There are currently approximately 600 active minerals prospecting licences in lreland. Prospecting licence PL 934 was granted in 2005 and renewed in 2012 by the Minister in the then Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The licence is due for renewal at the end of this year. The licence gives the licence holder, MOAG Copper Gold Resources Inc., the right to explore for silver and base metals in Mace Head, Carna, County Galway. This prospecting licence area covers an area of approximately 45 sq. km.

It is my understanding that exploration is being managed on behalf of MOAG by SLR Environmental Consulting (Ireland) Ltd., a consulting firm based in Dublin with extensive mineral exploration experience. I also understand that landowner and community liaison has continued throughout the exploration programme and that the project has generated employment locally. In this regard, three local people have been employed on a part-time basis at the core storage facility located in Carna to assist in sampling, transport and core management. Additionally, local contractors have been used for transporting the core samples, all samples have been analysed at ALS Global Laboratories in Loughrea, County Galway, and drilling has been carried out by Irish Drilling Limited, which is also based in Loughrea.

The Mace molybdenite-copper deposit currently being explored was initially identified in the late 1960s by mapping, geochemistry, geophysics and shallow drilling. It is my understanding that MOAG has sought to build on the early work mainly by carrying out additional structural geological mapping and surveying. Following the grant of drilling permission by the exploration and mining division of my Department, a follow-up six-hole drill programme began in 2014. The results of that programme were extremely encouraging. A more comprehensive drill programme was undertaken in 2015. This drilling programme confirmed the existence of the mineralisation. However, further exploration and evaluation of the information collected is required.

Under the terms and conditions of the prospecting licence, my Department is required to keep all information confidential for six years from the submission of the data. However, I understand that MOAG has made the results of the drilling programme from 2015, and additional information, available on its website at wwwmoag.ca.en. My understanding is that the results of the exploration programme which has been carried out are still being evaluated by the company.

As mentioned, the prospecting licence PL 934 is due to expire at the end of this year and, based on current information, it is expected that the company will apply for it to be renewed. As part of this process, the company will be required to submit an exploration programme which will be screened by the exploration and mining division of my Department to ensure that there are no significant effects on the environment. In respect of environmental matters, I emphasise that, prior to deciding to grant any prospecting licence, officials in the exploration and mining division screen the proposed prospecting activities submitted in relation to the prospecting licence area and make a determination as to whether the activities may have a significant effect on the environment. This is done in compliance with relevant European directives and regulations. It is a condition of the grant of a prospecting licence that, in the event that the relevant prospecting area contains or is in close proximity to an SAC or SPA, before any exploration activity can take place the company is required to seek the prior permission of the exploration and mining division. Such permission is only granted once further screening for significant environmental effects specific to the objectives of the SAC or SPA is undertaken. This further screening is undertaken in compliance with the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, SI 477 of 2011. If drilling is proposed for anywhere within a prospecting licence area, a separate prior permission must be obtained from the exploration and mining division, which undertakes further screening for significant effects to the environment before such permission is granted.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Táim buíoch as an bhfreagra sin. There are a number of questions I could ask but I will come back to them on another day. The Minister of State said, "As part of this process, the company will be required to submit an exploration programme which will be screened by the exploration and mining division of my Department to ensure that there are no significant effects on the environment." Has this been submitted? Is it available for public view? If not, can the Minister make it available? Were any specific environmental issues raised as part of the report?

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It has not come across my desk yet. I will get back to the Senator on whether it has been received and whether it can be published. Where we can, we put information on natural resources up on the relevant section of the Department's website. If it is available, we will send a copy to the Senator. It is at the prospecting licence stage at the moment and if it is to go to the next stage, a full planning permission application will have to be submitted to Galway County Council. The next steps from there would be public consultation, possible appeals to An Bord Pleanála, etc. It is at an early stage but it follows on from work done in the 1960s. It is right and proper that the community be kept informed of any necessary work. I will get an update for the Senator on whether an application has been received by the Department.