To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail what consideration was given to the 99.5 per cent of consultations respondents who opposed the granting of mineral prospecting licence applications of (i) CA1/25; (ii) CA3/25; (iii) DGA3/25; (iv) DG4A/25; (v) KDRA1/25; (vi) KDRA4/25; and (vii) OMA4/25.

In line with the requirements of the current legislation, the Mineral Development Act (NI) 1969, my Department completed a public consultation exercise on the Department’s intention to grant the seven mineral prospecting licences,. On 8 May 2025 the Department published its Consultation Summary Report to these applications. This report, which can be found on our website, outlines in detail the Department’s response to each of the issues raised throughout the consultation. A significant majority of respondents made it clear that they were opposed to the gold exploration being undertaken by some of the applicant companies. The Minerals Development Act (NI) 1969 lists the minerals vested in the Department and gold and silver are exempted from that list. Permission to carry out exploration for gold exploration is provided by the Crown Estate through Mines Royal Options and not through a mineral prospecting licence that issue from my Department.