Mining and quarrying group calls for project investment
Output from Irish quarries is down 75% so far this year, says yesterday’s report.
Demand for concrete blocks, ready mix and aggregates are all down.
Construction employment has fallen by 140,000 and the public capital programme has been reduced by 50%.
The society’s president Sean Finlay said: “While we are not suggesting a return to the activity levels that led to an oversupply of houses, hotels and office blocks, it has to be recognised that we are still lacking in many elements of basic infrastructure.
“Both the reduction in, and the slow delivery of the public capital programme is a particular cause of concern for us.
“Quarry and related product output will not recover without significant infrastructure investment, as property development or house building will not recover in the foreseeable future,” he said
Meanwhile, the society welcomed the Government’s recently published Infrastructure Investment Priorities for 2010-2016, aspiring to annual expenditure of €5.5bn over seven years, contingent of economic recovery.
On another positive note, Irish metal mining is thriving due to Asian demand. The Lisheen Mine in Co Tipperary is to be bought by Indian metals group, Vedanta.
Zinc production at Tara Mines is soaring, and road deicing products from Irish Salt Mines have seen record sales this year.
The Irish Mining and Quarrying Society also hopes domestic legislative changes like the Planning and Development Act passed in July will bring stability to quarries caught in a legislative hiatus as a result of a 2008 European Court ruling.
