Cathal Mullan

The inquiry was due to run from January to March 2025 but was suspended after sitting for just three days due to procedural failings by the Department for Infrastructure.

The Department failed to notify the Irish government and Donegal County Council about the local inquiry, despite the proposal raising cross-border issues.

Harte Coyle Collins, Solicitors & Advocates is acting on behalf of a local resident, Martin Tracey, who is opposed to the gold mine project and believes the inquiry proceedings should be more transparent once they resume on 26 March 2025.

The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has so far refused to livestream the inquiry or to maintain a public written record of the proceedings, despite calls from the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and Friends of the Earth.

Cathal Mullan of Harte Coyle Collins said: “The Dalradian gold mine proposal will be one of the most significant industrial and potentially environmentally disastrous developments on this island.

“It will have lasting impacts on our natural environment and on our ability to meaningfully meet our obligations to address climate change.

“A record of the proceedings before the PAC should be kept and the inquiry livestreamed to allow for the wider public to have access to the information presented in favour of and against this application.

“Continuous failures by those government bodies charged with the protection of our wellbeing and environment underscore the need for anxious scrutiny by civil society of these proceedings.”

In conjunction with Public Interest Litigation Support (PILS), the firm has published detailed notes from the first three days of proceedings prior to the inquiry’s suspension.

The firm is also encouraging members of the public to write to the inquiry at dalradian.cpi@pacni.gov.uk or sign an online petition to request the PAC to change their procedures to livestream the inquiry, take a public record of the proceedings and allow expert witnesses to participate online if they cannot be present.

Mr Tracey is represented by Harte Coyle Collins environmental lawyers Nichola Harte, Patricia Coyle, Cathal Mullan and Meadbh O’Dowd, and counsel Dan O’Muirigh BL.