Ireland's very soil and rocks may yield a massive boost for the all-Ireland economy with news today that the Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has launched a £4m, EU-funded geological project to carry out further analysis of Northern Ireland's natural resources.

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 European 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 the Environment and the Republic of Ireland Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) will manage the project in partnership with Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), Queen's University, Belfast and Dundalk Institute of Technology

The project is an extension of the award-winning Tellus Project in Northern Ireland, which produced new maps and digital data of soils, rocks and stream waters of the whole of Northern Ireland.

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Arlene Foster said: "This project will provide high quality geological information to ensure sustainable use of Northern Ireland’' natural resources.

"It will continue the analysis of the information gathered under the Tellus Project and help inform government development decisions including sustainable use of land in planning decisions, and enhance further private sector investment in areas such as mineral exploration."

The Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, whose department has also injected £0.6m into the scheme, said: "This is an exciting project which will provide us with further detailed information on Northern Ireland's natural environment and help us understand more the pressures which it faces. In particular it will provide important background information on geology, stream water quality, and potential pollution sources, which will help to inform the work of a number of different partners including my own Department," he said.

Welcoming the launch of the EU funded project Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the SEUPB, said: "Upon completion this innovative project will inform and improve sustainable land management practices across Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland.

"It has been supported under the cross-border infrastructure element of the EU's INTERREG IVA Programme which is encouraging sustainable development in a number of sectors including environmental protection."

Continuing the analysis of the Tellus data, the Border project will undertake innovative research, particularly in the scientific assessment and management of wetlands, soil-carbon and ground-pollution.

The project will also integrate the geo-science information mapped on both sides of the border and improve cross-border collaboration in the management of earth resources and the environment.

The area covered by the project includes Northern Ireland, (excluding the Belfast Metropolitan Area) and the six northern counties of the Republic of Ireland (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Monaghan, Cavan and Louth).

(BMcC/GK)