Consultation on the Draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining in Ireland and associated SEA Environmental Report and AA Natura Impact Statement

We have prepared a Draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining in Ireland. The Policy Statement should establish a clear and sustainable policy framework that supports our communities, our environment, our climate and our mineral exploration and mining sector.

Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment have also been carried out on this Draft Policy Statement.

We are seeking views on:

• the Draft Policy Statement for Mineral Exploration and Mining in Ireland
• the Environmental Report prepared as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment process
• the Natura Impact Statement prepared as part of the Appropriate Assessment process

All submissions are welcome and will be considered in finalising the Policy Statement.

The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm 15 October 2021

Submissions should be marked Consultation on mineral exploration and mining and sent by email to GSPD@decc.gov.ie or by post to:

Geoscience Policy Division

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

29-31 Adelaide Road

Dublin, D02 X285

Ireland

Due to current working arrangements associated with COVID-19, if you are unable to access the documents below and require inspection at DECC offices, please write or email us using the details above.

This draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining covers a range of issues relevant to the mineral exploration and mining sector such as the role of minerals in our everyday lives and in our transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions; the regulation of the sector; how the sector contributes to the achievement of other national, EU and international policies and set out a draft policy, key principles and key priorities for the sector.

It also seeks to put in place a clear and sustainable policy framework that supports our communities, our environment, our climate and our mineral exploration and mining sector.

This draft policy statement includes:

• a brief overview of the importance of minerals
• a policy context for minerals exploration and mining
• the regulatory framework which governs mineral exploration and mining in Ireland
• policy and principles for mineral exploration and mining in Ireland
• appendices providing further detail on the legal definition of minerals, background on mineral exploration and mining as well as Ireland’s international involvement in actively encouraging and overseeing sustainable and responsible sourcing of minerals and mining

In accordance with EU Directive 2001/42/EC and the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programme) Regulations 2004 (SI 435 of 2004), as amended, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been carried out on the Draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining and its findings are presented in an Environmental Report.

The emerging Draft Policy Statement was screened for Strategic Environmental Assessment and the next stage of SEA involved consultation on the Scoping for the Environment Report, which informed the preparation of this Environmental Report.

In accordance with European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, 2011 (S.I. No. 477), as amended, the Draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining was also screened for Appropriate Assessment.

The emerging Draft Policy Statement was screened for Appropriate Assessment.

A Natura Impact Statement has been prepared for consultation.

Virtual sessions were held on 20, 22 and 25 September 2021 to provide information on these three documents and how to make a submission as part of this consultation.

A townhall for stakeholders was held on 6 October 2021. This townhall gave different stakeholders an opportunity to express their view on the draft policy statement and the Irish mineral exploration and mining sector, exchange views with other stakeholders and to have an open discussion on the draft policy statement and other related topics.

We are committed to engaging with stakeholders in a clear, open and transparent manner. Any person or organisation can make a submission in relation to this consultation. All submissions and feedback will be considered before the final version of the Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining is published.

Please note that responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please also note that we intend to publish the contents of all submissions received to this consultation on our website. Please indicate in your response whether you are submitting a response in a personal capacity or on behalf of an organisation. We will redact personal data prior to publication. There will be no redaction of contact information or names in submissions from an organisation. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain personal information, commercially sensitive information or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published.

We would like to draw your attention to our Data Privacy Notice which is available on our website and explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of personal information and how you can exercise those rights.

The Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining was published in December 2022.

Individual Submissions

Industry Submissions

Group / Organisation Submissions