Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, for being here.

Last Friday morning, Belmullet and Erris were hit particularly hard by Storm Callum, which caused considerable damage in Belmullet town. In particular, the sea wall in the town was breached and the Mullet peninsula was cut off from emergency services for a time, although it was quickly repaired. The staff of Mayo County Council and local people did a fantastic job to ensure far greater damage was averted. If the Minister of State wants to see the extent of the damage, Senator Keith Swanick shared some stunning footage on Twitter which will give an example of how bad it was.

This has shown there is a need for far greater flood defences in Belmullet. We are not talking about high walls, because this is a very scenic area, but greater investment in strengthening the defences that are in place. The defences have, in many cases, been in place for 40 or 50 years and have taken a battering over that time. There is also a need for greater investment in erosion prevention in the Erris area. Mayo County Council does not have the matching funding necessary to invest in erosion prevention. This issue needs to be faced up to. The changes in places like Ceathrú Thaidhg, Gaoth Sáile and Ceann Dhumha Thuama on the Atlantic coast show the impact erosion is having, not just on Erris, but on Achill and right up the Atlantic coast. Greater resources need to be invested in erosion prevention to equip us to better fight storms.

The Minister of State has brought great energy to his brief since taking up the position and has advanced many projects. We need far greater attention paid to erosion defence and defence of our coastal towns which are at the cusp of any storm, particularly as we look into what may a difficult winter ahead.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has overall responsibility for Government policy on coastal strategy and local authorities on identifying works to protect the coast in their respective areas. My office, through the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme, provides a funding mechanism to support works to protect coastal communities, particularly those at risk from flooding. The management of problems of coastal protection in the area indicated by the Deputy is primarily a localised matter and, as such, it is for Mayo County Council to identify an appropriate, sustainable and viable solution to the problems in Belmullet.

A full report has been requested from Mayo County Council where high spring tides combined with a storm surge and waves associated with Storm Callum resulted in some flooding and the temporary closure of roads in Belmullet over the past week. Mayo County Council provided sandbags which served to provide protection from the extreme event. Following storms early in 2014 the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government contacted all affected local authorities regarding the cost of repairs to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure in the county. The amount made available to Mayo County Council for coastal protection repair works was €4.2 million. I am advised that the council has undertaken repairs of walls at a number of locations in Belmullet, County Mayo, at a cost of €180,000. It is important to note that funding was allocated to immediately assist local authorities for these repair and restoration works to existing coastal protection and flood defence systems and not for new infrastructural projects. It remains open to Mayo County Council to apply for funding in connection with this location and it is a matter for the council to prioritise works in its administrative area.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge that good work has been done since 2014, particularly along the Mullet peninsula, in strengthening roads and raising bridges. This is directly related to Belmullet town and I will encourage Mayo County Council to submit an application for a minor works grant and I assume, from the Minister of State's remarks, any such application will be given a good hearing in his Department.

Is ceantar Gaeltachta é freisin. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil toradh an-mhaith i gceist le haghaidh na daoine atá ina gcónaí sa Ghaeltacht. Tá deacrachtaí i gceist dóibh siúd a chónaíonn sa Ghaeltacht. Tá sé tábhachtach go dtabharfar gach tacaíocht dóibh siúd atá ina gcónaí in Eachléim agus atá ag coimeád an Ghaeltacht agus an teanga beo.

The Departments of the Minister of State and of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, need to look at the issue of erosion. Money is being allocated for erosion but because local authorities do not have the matching funding necessary, it is not being spent. There is constantly an underspend in the erosion budget in local authorities. Meanwhile, our Atlantic coast is changing in front of our eyes. Our natural defences against floods are being weakened and there needs to be a very serious discussion within the Minister of State's Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment about how we protect our natural coastal defences in a stronger way.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I could not agree with the Deputy's comments more but I advise that we are coming to budget times in local authorities and, where local authorities have issues with regard to cutbacks, they know that I and the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, have money at our disposal. If they apply for the schemes, they should have backup funding. They are in areas with coastal erosion. They fully understand that councillors need to step up to the mark to provide that money and we will make the matching funding available. Neither the Minister’s Department nor my Department have been found wanting in supporting all local authorities, particularly in the past year and a half. I have been very vigilant on the ground in meeting people and looking after areas. If Mayo County Council comes to our Department, we will look at trying to do works.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That seems like a very valuable invitation. I thank the Minister of State.