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Minister for Natural Resources, Mr. Fergus O’Dowd, T.D. today unveiled the preliminary findings of a €5 million EU INTERREG IVA-funded geological project to map the environment and natural resources of the border region of Ireland. Minister O’Dowd was joined by the Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body, Mr Pat Colgan, to launch the data which have the potential to offer widespread environmental and economic benefits across many sectors including environmental management, agriculture, planning, renewable energy and mineral exploration.

The Tellus Border project, which commenced in July 2011 under the stewardship of the Geological Survey of Ireland, in partnership with the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, is one of the most significant mapping projects ever to take place in Ireland. It involved an extensive airborne geophysical and ground-based geochemical survey covering the six border counties – Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. Completing the survey phase in the summer of 2012 – having flown 60,000 km and collected close to 21,000 soil, water and sediment samples – the Tellus Border team has been analysing the data, integrated with that collected in Northern Ireland from 2004-2007, to produce preliminary findings set to improve cross-border collaboration in the management of natural resources and the environment.

The airborne survey has revealed extraordinary new detail to regional geological features which extend throughout the border region. New information on subsurface structures is already helping to improve and update the Geological Survey of Ireland’s existing geological maps, which support sustainable planning countrywide. Today also saw a preview of the geochemical data, which will be released later in 2013 following continuing quality checks and interpretation. The data will reveal important natural and man-made influences on the soil and water chemistry of the area, significant for managing the environment and optimising agricultural productivity.

Discussing the relevance of the preliminary Tellus Border data, Minister O’Dowd said: “The maps released today represent a significant body of work which characterises in great detail the geology and environment of the border region. Sustainable environmental management not only protects our environment but supports many sectors of the cross-border economy including agriculture and tourism”.

Welcoming the launch of the Tellus Border data Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the SEUPB, said: “This EU funded project is truly unique and will provide an invaluable source of data that will have many significant benefits, on a cross-border basis. It will greatly enrich our knowledge of the natural environment and also enhance our agricultural capability now and in the future.”

The project is a joint initiative between the Geological Survey of Ireland, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University Belfast, funded by the INTERREG IVA development programme of the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

A conference will be held in October 2013 to officially close the project and present the full findings from the survey and accompanying academic research projects. Further details can be found at www.tellusborder.eu. To register for notifications for upcoming data releases, please email your details to tellusborder@gsi.ie.

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Notes to editors:

The cross-border Tellus Border project has been funded by the INTERREG IVA development programme of the European Regional Development Fund, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). This is the largest of the latest awards under the Environment theme of INTERREG IVA and is part funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of the Environment.

· The project is a joint initiative between the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI), the   Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University Belfast and builds on the award-winning Tellus Project which has already successfully mapped Northern Ireland. Data collected during both surveys will be integrated with the existing data to give a cross border geological baseline.

· ‘Tellus’ was the Roman goddess of the earth, also called Terra Mater.

SEUPB

· The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. It is responsible for managing two EU structural funds Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IV designed to enhance cross-border co-operation, promote reconciliation and create a more peaceful and prosperous society. The Programmes operate within a clearly defined area including Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland.

· The INTERREG IVA 2007-2013 Programme is worth €256 million and aims to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of borders. It has two distinct priority measures to create co-operation for a more prosperous and sustainable cross-border region.

· For more information on the SEUPB please visit www.seupb.eu