James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are aware of that need. I wish to say words of support. All of us acknowledge the costings of the works that need to be done to get the coastline ready for what will happen in the next two or three decades are extraordinary. They are in the hundreds of millions, no doubt, and may be in the billions. We support the Minister of State and I hope his good colleague, the Minister, who is seated beside him, will be forthcoming in the upcoming budget to further support those works. The other issue that is important to reference is in the east Cork area. A number of farmers' agricultural land is under extraordinary risk on the western bank of the River Womanagh. I know the Minister of State went down to see that for himself, but if the bank bursts, several hundred acres will be put under water by the sea and it will threaten the village of Ballymacoda. We cannot allow this to occur, but there are statutory implications and problems we need to get around. The Department could look at this during the calendar year because I am quite concerned about it. The Minister of State and I saw a number of the weak points on the bank on the day we visited. If that bank bursts, the ramifications will be incredibly serious. It is important to put that on the record.

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