Campaigners make call for goldmine inquiry to be live-streamed

PEOPLE living in the Greencastle community are urging the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to livestream the upcoming Public Inquiry into controversial plans to build a gold mine and processing plant in the area.

The application for the mine, submitted by North American mining firm Dalradian, has been described as being one of the ‘most contentious and complex ever’ in the North.

Yesterday (Wednesday) extra security measures, including the presence of the PSNI, were present at a ‘pre-inquiry’ meeting held in the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh.

It is expected that the Public Inquiry will begin on September 10 this year, and take up to six weeks to complete.

During yesterday’s meeting, Greencastle woman, Sinéad Ní Mhearnóg, was visibly emotional as she spoke of how her attendance at the Inquiry could be curtailed because of the birth of her child in mid-August.

“I would urge the Planning Appeals Commission if there is a possibility to make the Public Inquiry fair and transparent,” she said.

The PAC said it would consider live-streaming for certain contributions, but added that the live-streaming of its pre-inquiry meeting yesterday would be deleted in line with GDPR regulations.

The Greencastle woman continued, “My baby is due in mid-August, and I have been asked to speak on behalf of a number of people at this Inquiry. I don’t know what is going to happen, but the absence of a live-stream means that it’s going to be very difficult for me to attend on a daily basis.”

Ms Ní Mhearnóg also asked whether or not she would be able to take her new-born baby into hearings in September.

Commissioner, Jacqueline McParland responded by saying that, while she would not rule out permitting this, Ms Ní Mhearnóg should ‘think very carefully’ before bringing her baby.

Local grandmother, Martina Holywood, expressed concern that her family’s dairy farming business could be ‘put under threat’ if the goldmine was completed.

“It is not fair that someone like me and my community is having this proposal put on us.

“We are living day-to-day and, if this goes ahead, our milk and meat won’t be able to be sold.”

Martin Tracey, meanwhile, said that there are fears that the local community was being ‘sacrificed’.

He called for a judge-led Public Inquiry into the proposal to take place.

Making a pointed reference to the Stormont Infrastructure Minister, Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, Mr Tracey said, “For years, the party of the Infrastructure Minister has spoken of equality.

“He must now put those words into action by granting us funding to properly engage with the Inquiry.”

‘DELIGHTED’

Speaking yesterday (Wednesday), a spokesperson for Dalradian said the firm were ‘delighted’ to have progressed to the Public Inquiry stage on the planning application for a ‘modern, underground, polymetallic’ mine.

The spokesperson said, “The pre-inquiry meeting marked the beginning of the final steps in the planning process that started in 2016. It dealt with procedural matters, and finalised arrangements for the remainder of the process.

“A Public Inquiry is a standard procedure and critical milestone for regionally-significant applications, such as Dalradian’s, and one we fully support. The Inquiry will provide another opportunity for the project and its associated social, economic, and environmental considerations to be scrutinised by independent experts and provide another forum for review of public representations.

“This is one of the most comprehensive planning applications in Northern Ireland, and reflects the extensive amount of environmental information submitted.”

The spokesperson added, “Following the Inquiry hearing, the PAC will prepare a report for the Department for Infrastructure to consider in making their final decision.

“If approved, the project will deliver jobs, training, investment, community development, and supplier opportunities on a much-larger scale for the region.”