SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin
She said the decision directly contradicts the Economy Minister’s previous support for a moratorium on new licences.
The licences, granted to four companies, permit the prospecting of minerals, excluding gold and silver across areas in at least three counties, with the potential for future full-scale mining operations.
The Foyle MLA said: “This is a deeply disappointing and unjustifiable decision by the Economy Minister. It is a slap in the face to the communities in these areas who made their objections loud and clear and who have now been ignored.
“What’s even more concerning is that this move appears to contradict the Minister’s own previously stated position. She was rightly critical in the past of awarding licences before an overhaul of the regulatory framework.
“If it was wrong then, it’s wrong now. This is the latest in a long line of examples of Sinn Féin Ministers saying one thing and doing another.
“Executive Ministers continue to pay lip service to protecting our environment while failing to use their many powers to do so.
“The Executive’s Programme for Government places environmental protection at its core and that commitment must be meaningful and shared across all departments. It’s clear the Economy Minister is failing to uphold that principle.
“The Economy Minister and her department must take responsibility for this decision.
“Shifting blame or dismissing public concern is not the mark of good governance. Communities deserve better than to have their views sidelined, and Ministers cannot toss previous commitments aside when it suits them.
“The SDLP is calling for the suspension of these licenses until the outcome of the department’s comprehensive review of mineral licensing is known.”
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