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Sinn Féin oppose use of cyanide at Tyrone gold mine

Some local people are opposed to a planned gold mine at Greencastle, Co Tyrone.
Some local people are opposed to a planned gold mine at Greencastle, Co Tyrone. Some local people are opposed to a planned gold mine at Greencastle, Co Tyrone.

SINN Féin members have backed a motion opposing the future granting of permission for private mining of precious metals in Ireland.

The motion was presented at the party’s ard fheis last week by former Stormont special adviser Liam Lappin

Mr Lappin has previously worked as a special adviser to former agriculture minister Michelle O’Neill, who now holds the position of Sinn Féin party leader in the north.

The motion comes as Canadian mining firm Dalradian Gold plans to build a controversial mine at Greencastle, Co Tyrone, and an associated plant that will use the hazardous chemical cyanide to remove the precious metal from ore mined locally.

The motion, which was tabled by a party cumann based in south Armagh, “recognises the environmental damage caused by precious metals mining” and opposed the “use of cyanide in mining due to its detrimental environmental and health implications”.

It also called for an undertaking to “review and amend the currently mining licence system to ensure the public interest, community gain and environmental protection are underpinned in new regulations and furthermore will oppose private sector gold mining companies from being awarded permission to operate in Ireland”.

During a hard hitting speech to delegates Mr Lappin spoke of the fear faced by the Greencastle community over the proposed use of cyanide.

He later added: “We need to take a stand against our nation’s wealth being signed off to private business interests whose sole objective is to make big profits.

“In the context of a new Irish republic the potential wealth generated from the exploration of our minerals should be used to clear hospital waiting lists, end homelessness, lift people out of poverty and improve the well-being of everybody in society

“We need to stand up for our environment and ensure that cyanide isn’t used to destroy our countryside and its people.”

Cormac McAleer from the Save Our Sperrins campaign has welcomed the Sinn Féin motion.

A spokesman for Dalradian Gold said mining and quarrying accounts for more than 8,000 jobs across Ireland.

He said the firm has created 100 local jobs directly which it says will grow to 350 and has raised £120m of overseas investment so far.

"We operate under strict local, national and international environmental controls and will continue to do so in an open and transparent way," he said.

"In the last 16 months, we have taken over 850 people on underground tours including local residents, educational and farming groups."