The works were completed in January 2022.

Earlier this month, Wexford County Council made an application to the OPW under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme for further funding to progress the Seaview coastal protection scheme. The council proposes to introduce 155 m of rock armour coastal protection fronting several houses at Seaview on the Wexford coast. This application is being reviewed by the OPW.

As part of the Government's National Development Plan 2021-2030 almost €1.3 billion has been committed to investment in flood relief measures across the country. Following this commitment, a steering group was established between the OPW and Wexford County Council to progress an erosion and flood relief scheme to protect the strand at Rosslare and alleviate the risk of flooding for the local community on the peninsula. Wexford County Council completed the Rosslare Coastal Erosion and Flood Risk Management Study in 2019. The study outlined proposed erosion and flood mitigation measures to address the identified risks and how to best manage and mitigate the overall risks to the community. In December 2021, Wexford County Council appointed consulting engineers to develop, design, and construct a coastal erosion and flood relief scheme for Rosslare. The appointment will cover all five stages, which comprise preliminary design to statutory consents, detailed design, tendering, construction and handover. The project is currently at stage 1, which is preliminary design.

lreland’s coastline faces many challenges associated with climate change, due not only to projected sea level rise but also from increased storm frequency and intensity. These challenges have complex and multifaceted effects and there is a need for a framework to inform key decisions as to how the State should best manage the changing coast, having regard to such future risks and taking account of the complex interrelationships that result from the interaction between the marine and terrestrial environments. Following a request by the Taoiseach, the Office of Public Works carried out research on the impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion arising from climate change on coastal communities. As a result of this, Government established an interdepartmental group to prepare a national coastal change management strategy and to scope out an approach for the development of a national co-ordinated and integrated strategy to manage the projected impact of coastal change to our coastal communities.

See this item in context