I am very pleased to be here, at the Geological Survey of Ireland, to officially launch the findings from the three recent airborne surveys carried out earlier this year.
The 19th century scientist, Sir Humphrey Davy, once said that nothing contributes better to the advancement of knowledge than the application of a new instrument.
He also believed that: ‘the native intellectual powers of men were not the causes of the success, as much as the peculiar nature of the means and artificial resources in their possession.’ (See note below on Sir Humphrey Davy)
Three or four hundred years ago we believed that the world was flat. But thanks to ‘new instruments’, we have been shown the true shape of the world and man has been able to travel to many of the other worlds in the universe.
I think this is very relevant today. Because, as a result of the latest technology and the expertise of our scientists, we have been able to access information that will benefit every citizen in this country.
The work was carried in three regions and the surveys were relevant to each region:
In Cavan-Monaghan the focus was on groundwater applications.
The results will be of benefit to Government, as we draft the Groundwater Directive and implement the Water Framework Directive, which ensures we have good quality water throughout the country by 2015.
In Tipperary the effect of mining activities at the Silvermines district in the past was also surveyed.
I have recently allocated €10 million for the current remediation programme for the mines and this survey will be a great help.
The third survey was carried out in Kerry and looked at the potential hazard of indoor radon.
I understand that the RPII will be working the team and the local people to use the findings of this survey. (Minister, please note that the survey has found high levels of radon in the area and the RPII has been informed and will be in attendance on the day.)
Geo-science is a key element of the Government’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation.
The allocation of €400,000 towards the costs of the surveys is a tangible example of this commitment.
I am adamant that we test their effectiveness in terms of providing useful information for our natural environment.
My Department is currently attracting inward investment in the minerals sector, through its enlightened regulatory regime, sensible legislation and through the promotion of Ireland as an exploration destination of choice.
Ireland is attractive to exploration companies because many of the resources have yet to be found.
High resolution airborne geophysical data, like these surveys, ensures that we can pinpoint the location of the minerals and how we can get to them in a cost-effective way that limits the damage to the environment.
I believe that the new Minerals Development Bill, which is part of the Programme for Government, will be very important in ensuring this and the survey findings will be reviewed in this context.
You will see that there is an important North-South dimension to these surveys. Indeed there was considerable cooperation with the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland on various aspects of this survey work.
I would like to thank Garth Earls, its Director, who is with us today, for this cooperation.
The Geological Survey of Ireland has undertaken some surveys in Northern Ireland.
And I understand that there will be opportunities for collaborative actions to interpret the results and to acquire data over new areas of the Republic.
For example the survey in Cavan and Monaghan includes the integration of our surveys with the ‘TELLUS’ survey in Northern Ireland.
I welcome such collaboration being developed and I am sympathetic to seeking additional funding on that basis.
Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing the benefits of the surveys for the Irish citizens and the ways in which their interpretations have been used by stakeholders.
Last June, I saw the plane that carried out the airborne survey and I had the privilege of meeting the scientists involved in this survey project.
It was quite clear to me, then, that the surveys would yield important results.
While I appreciate that the interpretations of the surveys are still in progress, I believe we have information that is of tremendous scientific, environmental and commercial benefit to this country.
I thank everyone who worked on, and cooperated, in these surveys.
Those obviously involved include the dedicated team at Geological Survey of Ireland and their counterparts at the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland.
But we must also pay tribute to individuals and organisations who contributed to the successful completion of the surveys.
I thank the contractors, JA - a consortium between the Finnish and British Geological Surveys - for a job well done.
I am grateful to An Garda Síochana, the Irish Aviation Authority and the local authorities for their help.
Finally we really appreciate the co-operation of the local residents and the people who own the land surveyed.
On behalf of my colleagues in Government and those whom I work with in the Department, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and I hope you all have a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Thank you
NOTE: FOR INFORMATION ONLY
Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829)
Humphry Davy was born on December 17, 1778 in Penzance, Cornwall, England. He received his education in Penzance and in Truro. His father died in 1794, and Davy, in an effort to help support his family, became an apprentice to a surgeon-apothecary. Davy's most important investigations were devoted to electrochemistry. Following Galvani's experiments and the discovery of the voltaic pile, interest in galvanic electricity had become widespread. The first chemical decomposition by means of the pile was carried out in 1800 by Nicholson and Carlisle, who obtained hydrogen and oxygen from water, and who decomposed the aqueous solutions of a variety of common salts. Davy, too, began to example the chemical effects of electricity in 1800.