Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Officials from the OPW, with Cork County Council which is the lead agency for the protection of the bank, were present on the day. I know discussions are continuing. It would be disingenuous for me to say we will be able to protect every acre of land into the future. That is not possible. It is no accident that most people in this country live in coastal communities. It is a settlement strategy which goes back to the Vikings and even further back. Those communities will be in a very vulnerable situation for the next 50 to 100 years. I am not suggesting that the House or the Department plan for a five-year impact of climate change but we have to start looking at a 50- to 100-year impact. Unfortunately, there will be cases, and they are already happening, where we will see people out of their houses because of climate change. By grasping the nettle and dealing with that issue, the Oireachtas and society would do those communities a much greater service than pretending we can incrementally address problems as they come up because we cannot do so. I seek the support of all Deputies, in a non-confrontational way, to bring forward suggestions in that manner.

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