Recovery in Ireland’s Minerals Rankings
The annual Fraser Institute Mining Survey shows that Ireland’s rankings have improved across a number of measures in 2024.
The Republic of Ireland now ranks 1st out of 82 on the Policy Perception Index, a composite index that measures the effects of government policy on attitudes toward exploration investment (ranked 15th in 2023). Ireland ranks 19th out of 82 in the Investment Attractiveness Index which combines the Mineral Potential Index, which rates regions based on their geologic attractiveness, and the Policy Perception Index.
Ireland also scored well for Quality of Geological Databases; less so for Uncertainty on Environmental Regulations.
Northern Ireland had less than 10 respondents to the Survey; it scored 10th on Policy and 30th on Attractiveness but scores well on Infrastructure and Databases.
Commenting on the results , Geoscience Ireland Director Sean Finlay said;
” The recent Fraser Institute Survey results show a revival in confidence in Ireland’s minerals sector- a very welcome development given that exploration activity is muted, as measured by the number of active State Prospecting Licences. Other signs of recovery are the reopening of the Galmoy zinc lead mine; the resumption of operations at Boliden Tara Mines and the expansion of Gyproc’s gypsum mine.
The Minerals sector will be the focus of a Seminar hosted by the Irish Association for Economic Geology and the Irish Mining and Quarrying Society on 19 September in Mullingar. see https://iaeg.ie/event-6248868 ”
Full details of the Fraser Institute Survey are to be found at https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/annual-survey-mining-companies-2024.
