Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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16. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position in respect of licences for mining exploration on the Inishowen peninsula and specifically the situation regarding a licence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10834/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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There are four active prospecting licence areas (PLA) in the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal. With regard to PLA 3820 the Department is evaluating the licence which is due for renewal on 9 April 2021.

Where the Minister intends to renew a licence, legislation requires that public notice of the Minister's intention is given and that submissions can be made by members of the local community. The consultation period for submissions is open for a total of 30 days. All submissions received are considered as part of the decision-making process The Minister’s Intention to Grant Notices is also sent for public display to the appropriate Garda station(s), local authority office(s) and the Geological Survey Ireland. Additional information on the process of granting prospecting licences and making submissions is available online on my Department's website.

The Government advice is clear that within level 5 people should continue to work from home unless it is absolutely necessary to attend in person for the delivery of an essential service. The list of essential services is available at www.gov.ie. My Department communicated with the minerals exploration sector in March and September 2020 to reiterate the advice provided by the Health and Safety Authority for employers in relation to Covid-19 and the Health Service Executive's Covid-19 best-practice guidelines on restriction of movements and self-isolation. My Department continues to review the situation and may issue further notices as the situation develops.