Debate contribution: Mineral Licensing Moratorium

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 17 June 2025.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

17 June 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Mineral Licensing Moratorium

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5014049

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

I rise to express deep concern and disappointment about the Economy Minister's decision to approve seven new mineral prospecting licences across Counties Tyrone, Armagh and Fermanagh, effectively opening the door to full-scale mining in some of the most beautiful and environmentally sensitive parts of our region. That decision is fundamentally at odds with the direction that our society needs to take. At a time when the Programme for Government (PFG) promises climate action, biodiversity restoration and a green economy, the Department for the Economy is enabling extraction practices that risk polluting our water, scarring our landscapes and locking us into an outdated model of development. The public's opposition to the proposal was overwhelming. The Department received 2,163 consultation responses, of which 2,153, or 99·5%, were objections. What happened? The Minister ignored them. If we consult the public and then dismiss their views, we undermine trust in our institutions and our democracy. This is a slap in the face for the local communities that care deeply about the land that they live on, the water that they drink and the environment that they want to pass on to their children. The decision is part of a wider failure to protect the environment. When we look at the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scandal, in which a renewable scheme encouraged waste, at the ongoing pollution of Lough Neagh and at illegal dumping at Mobuoy, where local communities had to fight for accountability, we see that this licensing decision allows for the same pattern of disregard for public concern and environmental risk. The Minister has argued that exploration does not equal extraction and that there are no lawful barriers, but the public are not reassured by such technicalities. They understand that, where exploration starts, mining often follows. Worse still, the decision contradicts the Minister's previous position. Before taking office, she called for a moratorium on new licences until the regulatory framework was reviewed. That is a matter of public record. What changed? Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case of inconsistency. The Minister recently floated the idea of increasing tuition fees here, while Sinn Féin campaigns to abolish them in the South. What kind of doublespeak and doublethink is that? It damages public confidence. The motion gives the Assembly an opportunity to correct course. It calls on the Minister:

"to withdraw approval for these licences; and ... to place a moratorium on ... any new prospecting licences, or renewal of existing licences, until the regulatory framework ... has been reviewed and amended."

It calls on us to align our actions with our environmental commitments. Words alone will not restore public trust or protect our planet. We should be leading the way on a green industrial strategy, with clean energy, circular economy principles and sustainable development at its heart. The public are not opposed to development; they are opposed to the wrong kind of development. They want protection not exploitation. Let us listen, let us lead and let us act in the public interest.

503 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:48 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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