Niall Collins: No 'quick fix' solution to Aughinish Alumina exports 

Junior minister Niall Collins, whose Limerick County constituency hosts the Aughinish Alumina plant, said there were no deliberate attempts to withhold the report from anyone.

Individuals suggesting a “quick fix” of finding new export markets for Irish alumina destined for Russia do not understand global manufacturing, a Fianna Fáil minister has said.

Junior minister Niall Collins has pushed back on suggestions that it would be simple to move Aughinish Alumina’s exports away from Russia to EU markets. 

Mr Collins said it was a “very simplistic approach”, given Aughinish Alumina is owned by Russian global metals firm Rusal.

He highlighted that alumina is categorised as a critical raw material within the EU.

“There is a huge demand right across the EU and indeed right across the globe for aluminium. Any decision which could be ultimately taken can’t be self-defeating and can’t inflict damage on the Irish economy or the European economy,” Mr Collins said, speaking on RTÉ Radio.

“Somebody saying that a quick fix here is that we can somehow nationalise Aughinish or somehow divert their business in another direction, simply does not understand the complexities or how global supply chains, and how global manufacturing processes work.” 

He suggested that a third-party, independent oversight mechanism be implemented.

His comments come in the wake of an investigation by the Department of Enterprise into Aughinish Alumina’s exports, with the Taoiseach saying there is no conclusive evidence linking alumina produced in Limerick to the Russian weapons industry.

This followed an Irish Times investigation, which detailed how Aughinish Alumina was exporting massive amounts of alumina to Russia, which was then smelted down and used to make arms.

The Government has declined to publish the report and has not provided a copy to the Ukrainian embassy, with one diplomat at the embassy saying Ukraine’s Government should receive a copy.

First secretary on economic issues Yaroslav Humeniuk, speaking on RTÉ Radio, said that Ukraine wanted to see exports of alumina to Russia stopped.

Mr Collins, whose Limerick County constituency hosts the Aughinish Alumina plant, said there were no deliberate attempts to withhold the report from anyone.

The junior minister said it is of “paramount importance” that any decision made does not hurt Limerick workers, the Irish economy, or the European economy.

The Limerick TD also criticised the media, saying there has been a “lot of misinformation and poor reporting”, saying the exports of alumina to Russia have always been below 50%.