Committee members to visit Silvermines mine site

A delegation from the Oireachtas Committee on Marine and Natural Resources is due to visit Co Tipperary today to view the pollution caused by the Silvermines mine.

The committee members were invited to the area by Labour Party Senator Kathleen O'Meara.

Among the sites on their itinerary is a 150-acre open-air "tailings pond" containing the toxic by-products of lead and zinc mining.

Ms O'Meara has accused the Government of shirking its responsibility to the local people by failing to clean up the mine site.