Pól Ó Seasnáin is an EFG council member and national delegate for the Institute of Geologists of Ireland. He is also on the Executive Board of the IGI. Pól is a Professional Geologist and brings over 20 years of regulatory experience to this role in relation to environmental compliance across industrial and waste sectors under the EPA's remit and represented Ireland at the European Commission in relation to the Extractive Waste Directive and its technical advisory groups. Pól was the EPA's lead inspector for the extractive sector for both licensing and enforcement. He has dealt with everything from dealing with complaints from the public related to blasting vibrations, to technical assessment and approval of changes to mine operations, taking prosecution cases against mining companies, reviewing and re-writing EPA licences e.g. for Saint Gobain /Gyproc and Aughinish Alumina and co-ordinating oversight between the Government, Local authorities and mine companies of spending on multi-million euro mine closure projects through to ultimately a successful conclusion at Lisheen Mine and Galmoy Mine. Pól then moved in 2025 to the Geoscience Regulation Office to work on developing Irish Government guidance for the EC's Critical Raw Materials Act and in 2026 moved to its Geoscience Policy Section to work in the newly formed Historic Mines Rehabilitation Programme to address the legacy and potential options for dealing with Ireland's abandoned mine and mine waste sites.
From Innovation to Impact: Building Engagement and Dialogue in relation to European Raw Materials Projects.
Introduction on role of EFG. Part of EFG mission is “creating public awareness of the importance of geoscience to society” Drawing on the Horizon Europe FIC-FIGHTERS and CRM-geothermal projects, this presentation highlights how pathways from science to policy can be designed from the beginning of a research project. These projects explore unconventional critical raw material sources, including phosphogypsum waste streams and geothermal fluids, while engaging communities, stakeholders and policymakers around their potential deployment. Their experience illustrates the importance of identifying intended decision-makers and desired outcomes early, understanding the evidence and context those audiences need, incorporating local knowledge and concerns, and building relationships throughout the research process.
