Review of Mineral Licensing - Call for Evidence

Minerals are fundamental to modern life. They underpin infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and energy systems. As global priorities shift towards low carbon and renewable technologies, the demand for certain minerals has increased significantly. This shift has led to the designation of some minerals as Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), resources that are essential to the energy transition but face supply risks due to limited availability, geopolitical factors, or environmental constraints. CRMs are vital components in technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles, and securing access to them has become a strategic priority globally.

Exploration and Development

Mineral prospecting[1], also known as exploration, is the systematic search for mineral deposits while extraction, also known as development or mining, is the removal of minerals from the ground.

These activities are regulated here under several legislative frameworks, with the most significant being the Mineral Development Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 “the Act”. The Act vests most minerals in the Department for the Economy with one significant exception being precious metals (gold and silver), which remain under the control of the Crown Estate Commissioners.

Exploration and development are not new to Northern Ireland. Since the introduction of the Act in 1969, the Department has issued approximately 290 Mineral Prospecting Licences (MPLs) and currently there are eight active MPLs in place across the region.

Since the introduction of the Act, the Department has licensed two mines, one of which remains active today. Started in 1965, The Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Co. Ltd, is the only salt mine in Ireland, and one of only three salt mines in the UK. Based at Kilroot, 3 miles northeast of Carrickfergus on the northern shore of Belfast Lough, the company produces around 500,000 tonnes of de-icing rock salt per annum supplying local road authorities and motorway maintenance contractors. The company has around 60 full-time employees and regularly employs outside contractors to assist in the operation throughout the year.

There is also a mining legacy here that dates back centuries and forms an important part of the industrial heritage in many areas. From the seventeenth century onwards, there was a large expansion of underground mining that continued into the Industrial Revolution. A variety of commodities were extracted including coal, iron ore, bauxite, fireclay, lead, copper, feldspar and salt. Some of these minerals were used to build and power our towns and cities, while others underpinned key industries such as pottery, and supported wider industrial development such as using bauxite for the aircraft industry.

The development of mining resulted in a number of socio-economic benefits and infrastructure development in many areas including Coalisland, Ballycastle and the Mid-Antrim area. The Department is responsible for the approximately 2,400 disused (abandoned) mine workings across the region.

More information on mining and exploration licences issued by the Department can be found at:

Minerals licensing | Department for the Economy.

The Review of Mineral Licensing

This Call for Evidence (CfE) is part of a comprehensive review of mineral licensing policy. At the outset of the review, the Department commissioned Minviro Limited to research the economic, societal, and environmental impacts of mineral exploration and mining in Northern Ireland. Their findings highlighted a range of potential economic benefits alongside environmental and social risks. From this, the Department identified three priority themes:

• Stakeholder Engagement
• Prospectivity Research and Security of Supply Considerations
• Updating the regulatory framework for mineral licensing

Work is underway to address these areas and this CfE seeks further input.

As the review anticipates changes to the legislation governing mineral licensing, the Department is required under Section 5 (2)(b) Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA). In September 2025, Tetra Tech RPS was awarded the contract to complete these two assessments. The SEA and HRA will help inform the development of a future policy.

This CfE is your opportunity to provide contributions that ensure strong community protections, economic alignment, robust regulatory frameworks, and address environmental concerns to help shape a future minerals policy. Your insights will play a valuable role in informing our policies and decisions.