US congressmen have linked the development of a goldmine in Co Tyrone to wider investor confidence in doing business in Northern Ireland in a warning letter to the executive office.
Four congressmen, including two influential members of the Friends of Ireland caucus in Congress expressed their concerns over the long delayed development of the Dalradian mine at Curraghinalt.
Separately, the UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, wrote to the head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady, with details of the frustration in Washington over the project, the subject of a currently suspended planning inquiry.
US congressman Richard Neal
The congressmen, including Representatives Richard Neal and Mike Kelly, the chair of the Friends of Ireland group, urged the government to “reach a reasonably timely final decision”, according to the Financial Times.
They added: “We believe that a fair and timely adjudication of the merits of this project would send the message to investors worldwide that NI is truly a place they should feel confident doing business.” The politicians also expressed concern that “yet again” reviews of the project had been extended, the FT wrote.
A spokesperson for the executive office said: “The matter is currently subject to a public inquiry and on receipt of the Planning Appeals Commission’s report, the Department for Infrastructure will work to reach a decision on the issue as soon as possible.”
The letter was sent in November after the Planning Appeals Commission inquiry into the proposed gold mine opened and first adjourned two months previously.
Public inquiry opened at Strule Arts Centre in Omagh, but suspended after three days (Liam McBurney/PA)
Public hearings began at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh in January but were suspended after three days over failures to properly consult with the Irish Government or Donegal County Council over cross border issues, particularly in relation to the impact on rivers.
Dalradian, owned by Orion Resources, has been working to develop the Curraghinalt site near Greencastle for 15 years, and claims that it could create 1,000 jobs and add £4bn to the local economy.
However, campaigners opposing the plan have cited the health and environmental impacts in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Protesters against gold mining The Europa hotel during a recent environmental conference
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
Approximately 50,000 letters of objection were received during the long drawn out planning process. However, locals supporting the project have argued the majority of the objections were submitted before Dalradian reversed plans to use cyanide in the mining process.
It is not clear when the planning inquiry will resume, but was previously described by the Department of Justice as “unprecedented in the history of the Planning Appeals Commission in terms of its complexity and scale”.