Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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361. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has a role in considering applications for a gold mine in the Sperrin Mountains, given that it may impact on heritage sites there; and if he will make a statement on his engagement with the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy on the matter. [4169/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU), as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU), and the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention) both set out the obligations of Member States/Parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities or proposed development at an early stage of planning. They also lay down the general obligation of States to notify and consult other States on all major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse transboundary environmental impact.

My Department is responsible for ensuring that the planning system in Ireland is compliant with the State’s EU and International planning obligations, which includes the EIA Directive and Espoo Convention processes in the Irish planning system. Ensuring that the EIA Directive or Espoo Convention obligations of Promoters or potential development applicants in another jurisdiction are adhered to, is a matter for the appropriate authorities in that jurisdiction, in accordance with their respective domestic legislation transposing such EIA Directive/ Espoo Convention obligations.

In managing the State’s participation in the Espoo Convention, my Department’s role involves processing transboundary EIA notifications received from other jurisdictions concerning proposed development that may have a transboundary environmental impact in this State. Given the broad range of activities covered by the Espoo Convention, on receipt of a transboundary notification, consultation is required with the relevant competent authorities in the State whose subject matter experts will determine whether or not Ireland should participate in transboundary consultation.

I can confirm that a transboundary EIA notification was received by my Department on Thursday 30 January 2025 from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland. This notification concerns an application received by DfI for gold mining activities including surface level development such as a processing plant and associated ancillary works, at Greencastle, Co Tyrone.

My Department is currently reviewing the notification received and will consult with appropriate State authorities (i.e. relevant Government Departments and State Agencies) in due course to determine if transboundary consultation is necessary. If the conclusion is that transboundary consultation is required, a public consultation will form part of that process. The standard timeline for such public consultations is usually six weeks from the date a notice is published in a national newspaper. During such public consultations, members of the public are provided with access to all of the relevant documentation associated with the proposed development including the planning application and any environmental reports, and are provided with an opportunity to participate by making submissions to the competent authority concerned; in the case of this application that is the DfI in Northern Ireland.