Mining Permits

Three main permits are required before a new mineral development can be started. These are;

· Planning Permission under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Further general information on the physical land use planing system can be obtained from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and details of procedures from the relevant local planning authorities. An Environmental Impact Statement must accompany applications for developments involving the extraction of minerals under the Minerals Development Acts. The consent of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is also required to make a valid Planning Application for such minerals.

· An Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) Licence for all but small developments on non-metallic minerals. IPPC Licences aim to prevent or reduce emissions to air, water and land, reduce waste and use energy/resources efficiently. Applications should be made to the Environmental Protection Agency who can also supply further details.

· A State Mining Lease for minerals in State Ownership under the Minerals Development Act 1940or a State Mining Licence if the right to work minerals is vested in the Minister under the Minerals Development Act 1979. Minerals in these Acts do not include stone gravel sand and clay. As a matter of policy, the Minister will only accept an application from the holder of a valid Prospecting Licence, State Mining Lease, Licence or Permission over the area in question. Mining Leases etc. are negotiated on a case by case basis as required by Section 26 of the Minerals Development Act 1940 which also applies to Licences under the Minerals Development Act 1979 (see Section 17 of the 1979 Act).

The application procedure is to send in a formal letter marked for the attention of the Principal, Exploration and Mining Division applying for a State Mining Lease or Licence, stating what minerals are being applied for, accompanied by a map showing the area, and the appropriate application fee as set out in S.I. No. 259 of 1996 - MINERALS DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, 1996. (Application fees for certain state mining facilities)

Whilst the information that will be required to support an application may vary somewhat in individual circumstances, and applicants are advised to consult the Exploration and Mining division, a generic list of what is required can be found in the following documents:

Departmental requirements for information to be submitted with a mining lease/licence application:
Base Metals (pdf document)
Other than Base Metals (pdf document)

Examples of royalties and information on the taxation of minerals are included in: Fiscal Framework (2011).(pdf document)