Public Inquiry: Dalradian Goldmine Applications for Discharge Consent and Abstraction & Impoundment Licence

 

The PAC/WAC has decided to conjoin the hearings on the applications made to DAERA alongside the planning applications relating to the proposal.

Please refer to the Planning Appeals Commission for the procedures and updates relating to the Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian) Public Local Inquiry.

Please also refer to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI)  information page on the inquiry at Dalradian Goldmine Public Local Inquiry – Overview | Department for Infrastructure.

The conjoined inquiry, will consider representations on the following 4 applications submitted to DAERA, for water discharge consents and water abstraction and impoundment licences:

• Water Discharge Consent applications TrC 80/20 and TrC 81/20
• Abstraction and Impoundment Licence applications AIL/2024/0008 and AIL/2024/0009

DAERA has collated a document index which provides quick access to the relevant documents in respect of the Discharge Consent and Abstraction Applications. This index will continue to be added to.

• Document Index (Last Updated 12th January 2026)

See also Consents for Water Discharge and Abstraction for the Curraghinalt Project | Planning Appeals Commission for documents shared with the PACNI in response to the pre-inquiry hearing.

Applications

Documents for the Abstraction and impoundment Licence applications can be found at Applications for Abstraction and Impoundment: Dalradian Goldmine Ltd AIL/2024/0008 and AIL2024/0009.

Documents for the Consents for Water Discharge applications can be found at:

• Application for Consent to Discharge TrC 80/20
• Application for Consent to Discharge TrC 081/20

Documents relating to the Planning application can be found on the NI Planning Portal at Simple Search | Planning Portal (planningsystemni.gov.uk) using the planning reference: LA10/2017/1249/F

Representations Received

DAERA has summarised the representations received in response to the applications focusing on the salient points raised by individuals. Similar comments or questions have been grouped. The representations were provided in full to the PAC and are detailed below.

See summary of the public representations received in relation to the above applications below:

• Summary of representations received in relation to consent applications
  (TrC 80/20 and TrC 81/20)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications (AIL/2020/0105 and AIL 2020/0106)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications (AIL/2024/0003 and AIL 2024/0004)
• Summary of representations received in relation to abstraction applications (AIL/2024/0008 and AIL 2024/0009)

See below redacted copies of the representations received by DAERA in response to all of the advertisements. Names, Address and certain personal information has been redacted. Representations are provided in batches due to the size of the PDF Documents:

• Representations received in relation to the consent applications TrC 80/20 & TrC 81/20
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2020/0105 & AIL/2020/0106
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2024/0003 & AIL 2024/0004 Batch 1; Batch 2; Batch 3; Batch 4; Batch 5; Batch 6
• Representations received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2024/0008 & AIL/2024/0009 Batch 1; Batch 2
• Representations – Received in relation to abstraction applications AIL/2024/0008 & AIL/2024/0009 outside of Time Frame

Habitats Regulation Assessment

Under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations (NI) 1995, NIEA as the competent authority is required to undertake a Habitats Regulation Assessment before a final determination is made in respect of the proposed discharge consent and abstraction applications which have been submitted by Dalradian Gold Ltd (“DGL”) in connection with the Dalradian Goldmine proposals. NIEA have carried out the Test of Likely Significance in respect of both applications.

NIEA identified a potential transboundary issue. This was because the Test of Likely Significance highlighted the requirement to undertake an Appropriate Assessment of potential impacts on the site selection features of River Foyle and Tributaries SAC, the River Finn SAC Designation in County Donegal (RoI) is hydrologically linked to the River Foyle and its tributaries SAC. NIEA have consulted with the Statutory Nature Conservation Body in Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife Service, on the Test of Likely Significance assessments, see below link, on this basis.

See links below to the relevant documents particular to the NIEA Habitats Regulation Assessment:

• TrC 81/20 Discharge Draft Test of Likely Significance
• TrC 80/20 Discharge Draft Test of Likely Significance
• AIL/2024/0008 Mine Water Abstraction Draft Test of Likely Significance
• AIL/2024/0009 Surface Water Abstract Draft Test of Likely Significance
• Consultation with National Wildlife and Parks Service
• Response from NWPS

Appropriate Assessments are in progress and not yet been completed. Drafts will be shared with PAC/WAC and on this page in due course. These will be finalised following receipt of the report from the PAC/WAC, which have been directed to conduct Public Local Inquiries to consider representations made in respect of the applications by DGL, including the discharge consent and abstraction applications, and to report on their recommendations.

Statements of Case and Rebuttals

DAERA submitted Statements of Case and Rebuttal Statements in regard to the Discharge Consent Applications and the Abstraction Applications. These are provided in the Document Index and are listed below.

• NIEA Statement of Case-Abstraction Applications
• NIEA Rebuttal Statement – Abstraction Applications
• NIEA Statement of Case-Discharge Consent Applications
• NIEA Rebuttal Statement – Discharge Consent Applications

The PAC forwarded the Statements of Case and Rebuttal Documents they believed to be relevant to the Discharge Applications and Abstraction Applications. Redacted versions of these documents are provided in the Document Index.

The Document Index also includes the statements NIEA issued to DfI Planning, as a statutory consultee, for inclusion in the DfI Statement and Rebuttals.

NIEA representations as statutory consultee

The Document Index also includes the statements NIEA issued to DfI Planning, as a statutory consultee, for inclusion in the DfI Statement and Rebuttals.

NIEA Updates

The NIEA has now published updated reports on some of its representations. These are as follows:

• Specialist review of documentation and advice to DfC Historic Environment Division Dr Ellen O Carroll
• NIEA-WMU-FMA Hydrology – Estimate of Allowable Flow Variation to Streams in Curraghinalt Project using JNCC CSM using NRFA data up to 2023
• NIEA-WMU-FMA Hydrology report on estimated flow variation allowances in Pollanroe Burn with the application of the JNCC Common Standards Monitoring flow targets using updated NRFA baseline river flow reference data up to end of 2023 hydrological year

Correspondence with the PAC

• The NIEA letter to the PAC from NIEA regarding provision of paper copies of Statements of case
• The PACs response to NIEA regarding provision of paper copies of Statements of case
• The NIEA Letter to PAC providing updated reports 22nd August 2025
• PAC Response September 2025
• The NIEA Letter to PAC reiterating the request to include the updated reports 23 September 2025
• The PAC response 25th November 2025

• The NIEA response to PAC 20th January 2026