Westport adopts anti mining resolution

mayo | environment | news report Saturday December 15, 2007 11:00 by Cllr Keith Martin - Westport Branch Labour Party

A motion calling on Minister Eamon Ryan to protect the vincinity of Croagh Patrick from Gold mining

Westport Town Councillors call on Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD to protect area of great national and international significance as an environmentally sensitive, culturally and religiously important area with a massive intrinsic tourism value.

Westport Town Council has called on the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD to protect the Cregganbaun and Doolough region from mining.

A motion proposed by Labour's Cllr Keith Martin and supported by Sinn Fein's Cllr Dave Keating was adopted unanimously by the council at this week's December meeting of Westport Town Council.

In the resolution the area is described as one of "great national and international significance as an environmentally sensitive, culturally and religiously important area" and highlighted the intrinsic value of the area as a tourism feature.

The resolution also lends its support to the concerns of local groups opposed to the Mining.

Speaking on the motion Cllr Martin said that the motion spoke for itself adding that he believed that the proposed for a small scale "seven dwarf type mine" was a front for the introduction of whole scale mining in the area. Cllr Dave Keating said that the proposal by the mining company was for a tourism mine which he described as an Oxymoron.

At the request of Cllr Martin a copy of the resolution is being sent by Westport's Town Clerk to Minister Ryan.

a) That this Council, whilst welcoming sustainable and environmentally friendly development, industry and the harnessing of natural resources, which leads to job creation and investment in and around Westport, shares the concerns of the interested parties such as Mayo Environmental Group and Westport Tourism Organisation in relation to the proposal to mine for gold in the Cregganbaun and Doolough region and calls upon the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD to protect this area of great national and international significance as an environmentally sensitive, culturally and religiously important area with a massive intrinsic tourism value.