Lively and robust discussion on mining and LNG with Green party leader in Sligo

Minister Eamon Ryan attended a ‘townhall’ style meeting on May 4 in Sligo, hosted by the Green Party's local constituency group, where he took the time to engage in lively and robust discussions both inside and outside the venue where he met members of Treasure Leitrim.

Moderated by Niall Delaney, journalist and morning presenter Ocean FM, the discussion covered many topics, including public transport, renewable energy, prospecting licenses, and government policy on LNG.

Bláithín Gallagher, chair of the Northwest Greens, asked the Minister to keep the North-West top of mind.

“In most public discussions by government representatives, there seems to be a line drawn across the country from Dublin to Galway and places below such as Waterford, Cork and Limerick are frequently mentioned. There is a high risk we will be forgotten about when we are not talked about. We need to keep Sligo and the North-West on the agenda and we need your help.”

When asked about what he believes are the main achievements of the Green Party in government, Minister Ryan pointed to Minister Roderic O'Gorman's legislation guaranteeing adoptees right to know the identity of their birth parents and Minister Catherine Martin's scheme to pilot Basic Income among Artists – the first such scheme in the world.

In his own area of transport, he spoke about the roll-out of new or enhanced rural bus services every week, which has seen a 115% increase in passenger numbers and the fare reduction of 20% off an adult ticket and 50% off the young adult card.

He referred specifically to the Pathfinder Project being piloted in Leitrim which brings local transport and local hackneys together to bring people to their homes – or up the last “green mile.”

Energy Policy
Love Leitrim Spokesperson Eddie Mitchell asked the Minister to clarify his position on the importation of fracked gas, in the form of LNG. The Minister reaffirmed his, the Green Party's and the Government's opposition to the importation of fracked gas, acknowledging the role of campaigners in the region in this important climate issue.

The Minister explained that the government's plan to switch to renewables will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels while giving the North-West, with some of the best wind speeds in Europe, the opportunity to benefit economically from the transition.

Local Green Party Energy spokesperson and former Chair of Love Leitrim, Johnny Gogan, put it to the Minister, “that the development of this indigenous energy resource presented an opportunity for the state to develop this resource on behalf of the Irish people, similar to Norway’s approach to their fossil fuel resources.”

Mining
The issue of prospecting licenses generated a heated discussion, and the Minister acknowledged the concerns expressed by some of the attendees but stressed that prospecting is not mining and that the chances of prospecting becoming mining was very slim.

He assured everyone that, with the new climate laws in place, any mining license would be subject to rigorous environmental protection regulations. He said that he would provide clarification on banning the use of cyanide and the right of access to lands by mining companies.

The Minister also added that mining is an environmental and social justice issue: “Almost everyone in the country now carries a mobile phone, and these cannot exist without the use of mined material. If we put a blanket ban on mining in our country, are we then saying it is ok for us to benefit from the material mined in countries without environmental protection, countries which are much poorer than us, which may use child labour and which often won’t the same strong labour or environmental laws in place?"

Farming
The minister restated the Green Party's commitment to promoting small and medium-sized family farms. He spoke of the many changes that have happened since taking office in relation to Forestry and Agriculture that will also improve farming incomes.

“By building our Origin Green brand we can ensure a premium for the Irish farmer internationally while making farming increasingly sustainable.”