The Tara Mines Group of Unions has called on the Government to take over the running of part or all of Tara Mines in Navan, County Meath, if its current owners fail to invest in the development of a major new ore body that has the potential to maintain the facility’s operation for an additional 40 years.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, John Regan, said: “We met with officials of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to discuss the future of this essential part of our national industrial infrastructure. We raised with them our concerns regarding the issue of Tara Deep and the lack of activity by Tara Mines and the Board of New Boliden in progressing the development of this new ore body, which has the potential to provide a further 40 years of mining in County Meath.
“The company had invested in the development of Tara Deep for four years prior to the Mine going into care and maintenance, with the lay-off of its workforce, in July 2023. At the time of commencement of this development plan, the timeframe was for Tara Deep to come into production in 2029. This timeframe is now ever increasing with Tara Deep development mining having not recommenced following the resumption of other activities at the Mine last year.”
He added: “The Group of Unions is meeting management under the review of the Mine’s sustainability agreement on 12th May where we will also discuss these issues.”
SIPTU Organiser, Andrew McGuinness, said: “We believe that the Government needs to step in and ask some serious questions of New Boliden and its plans for Tara Deep. If the company fails to put a plan in place that commences development of Tara Deep by no later than year-end 2025, the Government should step in and take over its development by way of full or part State ownership of the Mine.
“Our call for State intervention on this issue is not done lightly. A failure by the Government to aid this development will leave the northeast region without one of its biggest employers in the near future. This will remove a key economic lifeline for the surrounding communities.”
He added: “The world is in a new economic environment where the maintenance of strategic resources such as Tara Mines are of essential importance. This can be seen in the UK where the State has stepped in to protect its steel industry, the Irish Government must show it has a similar long-term view of our economic development.”