Tara workers seek meeting on Tara Deep delays

Tara Mines workers are requesting an urgent meeting with management to address the company's failure to commence work on the Tara Deep project, which has the potential to maintain the facility’s operation for an additional 40 years.

The SIPTU trade union has warned that if management fails to honour its commitment to develop Tara Deep in last year's agreement on a return to work, they will refer the issue to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

SIPTU Sector Organiser, John Regan, said; “As part of the Sustainability Agreement reached under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in April 2024, which began the process of ending what would be 18 months of layoff for workers, it was agreed that ‘further underground exploration drilling’ would begin before 2027.

"Tara Deep is a project to develop a new ore body which has the potential to provide a further 40 years of mining in County Meath. Our members are not only focused on their employment but also the long-term viability of the mine, that is why this commitment by management was crucial to the 2024 Workplace Relations Commission deal."

Mr Regan said that at a Sustainability Agreement review meeting on 12th May 2025 Union representatives tabled a compromise proposal, to commence underground exploration drilling with immediate effect.

“If management fails to honour this commitment the Group of Unions will refer the issue to the WRC, so that it can consider how the unambiguous agreement by the Bord of Boliden for further underground exploration in Tara Deep can be enforced.”

SIPTU Organiser, Andrew McGuinness, said: “The company had invested in the development of Tara Deep for four years prior to the mine going into care and maintenance, with the lay-off of its workforce, in July 2023. At the time of commencement of this development plan, the timeframe was for Tara Deep to come into production in 2029. This timeframe is now ever increasing with Tara Deep development mining having not recommenced following the resumption of other activities at the Mine last year.”

“A failure to commence this development will leave the northeast region without one of its biggest employers in the near future. This will remove a key economic lifeline for the surrounding communities.”

Following a recent visit to the mine by Sinn Fein politicians, Cllr Eddie Fennessy as well as Deputies Darren O'Rourke and Johnny Guirke, they said they had been reassured by the company that it intended to commence production "as soon as it was possible to do so."

Sources close to Boliden management say that Tara Deep remains a key priority for the business.

Exploration work is continuing and the boundaries of the exploration programme have been pushed out to a wider area, but ultimately Tara Deep will need to be commercially viable, and it isn't definitive yet as to whether that will be the case

If Tara Deep is commercially viable, it will be a number of years away, but the company would hope that if it viable to bring it into production as soon as they can.

Representatives of Boliden met with Barry Cowen, Fianna Fáil MEP for Midlands North-West at the European Parliament in Brussels last week, where they told him the high cost of electricity is a major challenge for Tara Mines,

During the meeting, Boliden representatives raised two major challenges facing operations in Ireland: permitting processes and the high cost of electricity. They noted that electricity prices for industrial consumers in Ireland have doubled following the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, but, even further, that if prices were to fall to previous levels, they would still be three or four times higher than those in countries like Sweden.

The Fianna Fáil MEP said “Tara Mines has always been an anchor for employment and investment in the region. It remains a strategically important industrial operation, and both my colleagues at home and I are aware of this.”

“I was glad to engage directly with the owner company of the mine to understand some of the challenges they are facing. Addressing high energy prices and delays in permitting are issues I am already actively working on in Brussels and at home”

“Ireland’s offshore wind potential is unmatched in Europe. If we act now to accelerate delivery, we can bring prices down for consumers, industry and protect jobs in the long run.”

“I will continue to advocate for practical measures to support key energy sectors and to ensure Tara Mines can operate sustainably into the future.”

Last month the Tara Mines Group of Unions called on the Government to take over the running of part or all of Tara Mines, if Boliden failed to invest in the development of Tara Deep.