Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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218. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has been informed by the Department of Infrastructure in the North of Ireland of two discharge consent applications by a company (details supplied); if he has been informed of two water abstraction licences from the same company that would abstract half a million gallons of water per day from peatland, every day, for the next 25 years; and if he will make a formal response to these applications due to the transboundary implications of them. [9467/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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On 30 January 2025, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage received notification from the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in relation to development consent applications concerning the proposed project and confirmed that it would engage with relevant competent authorities to determine if transboundary consultation was necessary.

Following on from consideration by that Department of relevant subject expert inputs from those authorities, I understand that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage accepted the invitation to participate in transboundary EIA consultation. I have been made aware by Donegal County Council, that in accordance with article 132(4)(a) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 – 2024, it has been nominated by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as the relevant nominated planning authority with respect to the transboundary EIA consultation on the proposed project development. Donegal County Council has issued a public consultation from 26 February 2025 until close of business on 23 April 2025. All documents and information relating to the proposed mine are available at consult.donegal.ie/en/consultation/transboundary-public-consultation-dalradian-gold-mine-project-co-tyrone.

My Department is currently considering the scope of the transboundary consultation in relation to the matters falling under its remit.