Communication is key to Ireland’s greener future

Everyone wants to build a better future, but few know what materials that future is made of

If someone asked you where the materials for your phone, or your car, or even a common household item such as a frying pan came from, would you know the answer?

The answer is that the core materials for these items are sourced from our earth through various mining efforts.

For the past few years, Ireland has been working towards creating a greener future by reducing the usage of fossil fuels in order to decarbonise the country. With renewable energy sources like hydro and solar power replacing said fossil fuels, the demand for metals and minerals is on the rise. However, despite the crucial role that Ireland’s exploration and mining industry plays, they are faced with persistent backlash across the nation.

But if the Department of Environment, Climate, and Communication believe that “it will be important that Ireland continues to play its part in producing the raw materials required for the [green] transition”, why is the industry receiving this opposition?1 Research conducted in 2023 found that some industry members believe it stems from environmental damage caused by older mines such as Tynagh in Co. Galway, despite the legislations now in place to prevent similar incidents happening again.2 Others believed the public are being influenced by negative news stories outside of Ireland; although mining accidents and irreparable environmental damage often occur in African or South American countries, this is not the case within modern-day Ireland. The poor portrayal of exploration and mining commonplace in films and TV shows also have the ability to influence the public’s opinion, with the industry often shown as dirty, corrupt and unsafe.

Aside from these negative connotations, there is also a lack of industry awareness in Ireland. This could stem from the fact that older generations were taught that Ireland had no natural resources, or that today’s education programme still portrays mining as something negative that doesn't happen in Ireland. It may even be something as simple as mines being situated underground, and people aren't aware of how much they can’t see. However, the question has to be asked; is this a failing of the Irish nation or of those involved in the industry itself?

The research mentioned concluded that public relations is not fully utilised by the industry.2 The majority of work being done by both small and large organisations happens on a small-scale basis. If the industry wants to improve the Irish public's awareness, this will have to change. Industry members are aware of this but are struggling to achieve substantial change. This leads to the industry's biggest challenge: communication. They should aim to provide more information to the Irish public regarding exploration and mining, but this information also needs to deliver the right message. People’s main concern with the industry is the potential damage such work could cause to the local environment, so this concern must be addressed head-on. While it's crucial for the industry to explain the importance of mining and exploration in creating a greener economy, this message will be overlooked if it's still believed it will cause great environmental harm. As this belief stems from damage caused by past mines in Ireland, the industry should highlight positive cases where mines have been successfully closed and the land restored, most notably the Lisheen mine in Co. Tipperary.3

Along with addressing people's main concerns, information regarding the environmental protection legislations for both exploration and mining companies should be provided. Despite being available online, industry members noted that they’re difficult to understand without extensive prior knowledge; therefore, the legislations and regulations should be summarised in layman’s terms for the general public.

Industry members are also keen to teach younger generations about exploration, mining and minerals' necessity in a modern green economy. Currently their efforts are targeted towards secondary schools, specifically Transition Year students, Leaving Certificate students and geography teachers. With a decline in the number of young people entering the industry through both internships and university degrees, it may benefit industry members to target career guidance counsellors as well. By providing them with information regarding different pathways to enter the industry, and other opportunities worldwide, it could encourage more students to consider a career in geoscience. As well as this, the industry could work with universities and companies that offer said courses and internships to increase awareness of them amongst secondary school students; informational videos about what mining is, how it works, and the importance of minerals could also be beneficial in today's digital age. Such videos could be created and appropriately adapted for both primary and secondary school students’ levels of understanding.

Addressing these concerns and producing this level of information is unfortunately not something the industry can do alone. With Minister Eamon Ryan noting in a report that the Irish public are “perhaps unknowingly” reliant on the exploration and mining industry, assistance from the DECC would help to improve the public’s perception of the industry.1?The Irish public also need to be willing to listen to the industry and the government about how mining and exploration can help us achieve a greener future. The more we learn to embrace mining efforts, the greater the rewards we can reap in the future.

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1Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (2022) Final Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining, Gov.ie . Available at: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.gov.ie%2F241377%2F119c67f3-5fa0-42d5-98ca-57c2cc890298.pdf#page=null

2Holdstock, R. (2023) Opposition to the Irish Mining and Exploration Industry: The Role and Effectiveness of Public Relations. Masters. Technology University Dublin.

3Vedanta (no date) ?Lisheen Mine , Vedanta Zinc International. Available at: https://vedanta-zincinternational.com/what-we-do/our-operations/lisheen-mine/