David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter to be taken today and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, for being here. It is ironic that he is here because he now has responsibility for international aid and small islands and developing states. I am sure he is aware of the threat to small islands and developing states, like the Marshall Islands and elsewhere, from the rise in sea levels. Those states are very concerned that they may be completely wiped out because of rising sea levels.

Does the Government accept that sea levels are rising? Has the Government got any projections as to how much they will rise? I have been reading some material on this issue recently and one report indicates that sea levels could rise by as much as 300 mm, which is 1 ft, by 2050. We have a situation where sea levels are rising and they are doing so at an accelerating rate. Waters from the ocean are expanding as they absorb massive amounts of heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Glaciers and ice sheets are adding hundreds of gigatons of meltwater into the oceans annually. The land surface around coasts is also creeping up and down and affecting the relative sea level rise. People are feeling these impacts and will continue to do so.

What is our long-term plan in this context? Quite often, we work in cycles of five years as we move from one election to the next. The rise in sea levels is inevitable. The Dutch and others are taking this issue very seriously, as are some Americans. I read some recent reports from the Marine Institute here, which indicate that cities like Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and others around our coasts will be severely affected. Many of our roads, transport, electricity and other services will also be impacted. We need to start thinking about this impact seriously.

I know we have set up a national adaptation steering committee. Perhaps the Minister of State might tell us what work it has been doing. There is also the national coastal change management strategy steering group. Has it issued a report? If so, what actions are the Government planning to take with respect to this issue? I am talking about long-term action in this regard and not something in the short term. I am not talking about flood defences. This is far more serious because it is the sea. I refer to the reports I have read. I also have a book here by John Englander, entitled Moving To Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward, which deals with this issue out in a big way.

If, as is being said, the sea is going to rise, it is not going to go back.

The rise is inevitable and will be permanent. Surely, as a State, we should now be planning for this. What are we going to do? Can we put up sea walls? Can we get people to move? The other issue that will be impacted in a big way, an issue the Minister of State will be familiar with from his previous role in the Department of Finance, is that of house insurance and property insurance. If your property is close to the coast and there is a threat of a rising sea flooding that property, no insurance company will take you on. What are those people going to do?

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I and many of us will be gone from here, perhaps to our eternal reward, by the time this happens but we should not be waiting. We should be planning for it now. I am not talking about floods or small works by the Office of Public Works, OPW. This is pretty big. It will cost a lot of money if we are going to have an impact. It means moving people from low-lying areas on the coast or putting up defences to keep the sea out. I read one report that talked about blockading the Baltic Sea to save all the cities on the edge of that sea if it rises up. We are also going to see other impacts. Bangladesh and Florida could disappear and much of New York and Boston will be in trouble. We will see movements of people like we have never seen before because of this.

Has the Government been talking about, debating and thinking about this issue in a serious way? I am not just talking about short-term solutions but the long term. I am talking about the next ten, 15 or 20 years. As I said, some reports are talking about sea levels rising by a foot by 2050. That is not that far away. If that happens, many of us and our children will really be impacted. I am interested to hear what the Minister of State has to say on this matter and in what adaptation measures are planned.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this matter, which is very clear to everyone who looks at it objectively. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The challenge posed by rising sea levels is clear. The Deputy asked me to confirm whether the Government believes it. Yes, we do. It is clear for anybody to see. The practical implementation of measures to mitigate these risks, particularly for coastal communities, is of critical importance. I welcome the opportunity to bring some clarity on this particular matter.

Ireland’s coastal areas face many challenges associated with climate change not only due to projected sea level rises, 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 its changing coast having regard to such future risks and taking account of the complex interrelationships that result from the interaction between the marine environment and the terrestrial environment.

With respect to responding to coastal change, local authorities are generally responsible for the management of problems associated with coastal change and erosion in their respective administrative areas. Other coastal risks, such as risks to transport, agriculture and business, are addressed locally and through sectoral responses. I acknowledge that coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process which takes place around the national coastline, the results of which are complex and multifaceted. Coastal change may well threaten infrastructure such as roads and may undermine and cause damage to properties. However, it should also be recognised that coastal erosion also has beneficial effects to the local environment, such as providing natural nourishment and supply of sediment to adjacent beaches.

Following a request by An Taoiseach, the Office of Public Works, OPW, carried out research on the impacts of sea level rises and coastal erosion arising from climate change on coastal communities. As a result of this, the Government established an interdepartmental group on national coastal change management strategy 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. The interdepartmental group is jointly chaired by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Office of Public Works and is supported by a technical working group. The scoping report on managing coastal change has now been finalised and it will be submitted to Government for consideration very shortly.

There are a number of ongoing programmes to inform how mitigation of the effects of coastal erosion can be tackled. For example, I understand that the OPW commenced a coastal monitoring survey programme in 2020. Five initial target sites at Portrane, Rosslare, Ballyheigue, Lahinch, and Rosses Point were selected based on their significant exposure to coastal erosion and change or on the recommendations of associated detailed coastal studies already undertaken. Additional sites are being added to this list on an annual basis. The information derived from the programme will inform and support the planning, design and construction of new critical coastal infrastructure and the ongoing assessment of the performance of such infrastructure and will also assist with the planning and preparation of any necessary future adaptation of same due to climate change.

It is acknowledged that there is a need for a longer-term co-ordinated approach to tackle the issue of coastal change to provide a framework for key decisions to be taken on how Ireland can best manage its coast, being aware of the future risks and the associated planning requirements.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I will point out that I was told almost two years ago that the scoping report on the management of coastal change was almost finalised and would be submitted to Government shortly. It still has not been submitted to Government, which is a little bit alarming but we will wait and see. Perhaps the Minister of State will tell us when it will actually be submitted and what will happen as a result.

There is another curious issue in the Minister of State's response. He said that "it should also be recognised that coastal erosion also has beneficial effects [...] such as providing natural nourishment and supply of sediment to adjacent beaches." I am not talking about that at all. I am talking about the sea level rising, that rise not going away and the sea level staying up. There is a danger of mixing up erosion and rising sea levels. Much of the Minister of State's response was about coastal erosion, which is welcome information and the works being carried out to mitigate it are important, but permanent sea level rises are a totally different matter and far more serious. In the final paragraph of the Minister of State's response, it is acknowledged that there is a need for a longer-term co-ordinated approach to tackle the issue of coastal change. Again, I am talking about rising sea levels and not just coastal change, that is, sea levels rising because of the megatonnes of ice in glaciers that are melting. Most international studies and countries are saying that is the case. We do not have a plan to deal with rising sea levels, rather than erosion, that I am aware of. I emphasise that it is of great importance that we start taking this very seriously. I have already outlined the risks to our services, our roads, our transport infrastructure and our railways. Much of our electricity generation capacity is on the coast. Households will have to adapt in a big way or move. They will not be able to get insurance. It goes on and on. Most other countries across the world are taking this very seriously. I do not believe we are.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his further remarks. The managing coastal change report has now been finalised. I am not sure what was said on the previous occasion. It will be submitted to the Government very shortly. The report is finalised and is not still being worked on. I mention that particularly.

It is clear that tackling coastal change management in response to climate change will be complex and multifaceted. A range of research, policy and consequent management responses will be required. Even with comprehensive monitoring systems and a policy of appropriate intervention, it is inevitable that the State will be faced with complex challenges that may mean that many people will have to make difficult choices in the future. Measures and mechanisms will have to be put in place to allow for a considered response that recognises at its heart that it is people and communities that have to be made safe and sustainable. A key objective is to put in place a roadmap for responding to these challenges in a structured and planned way to provide the basis for a long-term strategy for integrated coastal change management.

I take the Deputy's point that some of the response dealt more with coastal erosion issues than sea level rises. I will speak to the Minister directly on this matter later on today and I will highlight that the emphasis of this debate is on sea level rises rather than the coastal erosion that is happening in different spots around the country. The Deputy especially highlighted that sea levels are predicted to rise by 300 mm, or a foot in old language, by 2050. It is a much bigger challenge. The issue of coastal erosion arises in particular areas due to particular circumstances but this is a much broader global issue. I will speak to the Minister directly on the Deputy's behalf today.