Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the Government will support amendment No. 8 to recital 31, adopted by the European Parliament at its second reading on 15 September 2005, regarding closed mines and the responsibility the member states have to rehabilitate such sites (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30325/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The amendment to which the Deputy refers is one of 38 amendments adopted by the European Parliament. Not all were acceptable to the Commission or the Council and the conciliation process is, therefore, now in progress. Under these circumstances, it would not be appropriate to comment on either the Council's or the Irish position on individual amendments.

The Government recognises the need to address the rehabilitation of closed sites and has therefore decided to allocate €10.6 million for the remediation of the Silvermines site in County Tipperary, and €500,000 to produce integrated conceptual management and remediation plans for the former copper mines at Avoca, County Wicklow. In addition, the Environment Protection Agency, EPA, is carrying out a project, with my Department's assistance, to produce an inventory of all problem sites.

The need to prevent problems arising in the future from closed mines has been recognised and the three operating metal mines have all provided significant sureties which mean funding will be provided by the operators for their planned closure and aftercare.