Seanad debates

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Recent Severe Storm Damage: Statements

 

1:45 pm

Photo of Joe CostelloJoe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their valuable, interesting and informative contributions. I apologise that I might be considered the wrong Minister to reply to the debate but, unfortunately, neither the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, nor the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Brian Hayes, could be present. I assure Senators that all the issues they have raised will be brought to their attention.

The stormy weather and the almost freak nature of the coastal erosion took place between 13 December and 6 January. Indeed, I remember it quite well because I was in Rosses Point in County Sligo on 2 and 3 January and it certainly sounded as if the roof of the house would be lifted and that there would be a huge amount of damage but, interestingly, there was little damage in County Sligo. However, much of the west coast, which is more of a promontory into the sea while Sligo is more of an inlet, was extremely damaged from Donegal to the Kerry coast. The east coast and Dublin, Meath and Louth were affected negatively as well and an amount of damage being done. I watched the television programme on Portrane and saw the amount of coastal erosion that regularly happens there, but the damage that was done during the storm was substantial.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has produced an interim report. His Department is the lead Department on this issue. The report was produced within a week of the storms ending, so there was a degree of alacrity in that regard. According to the report, an allocation of €45 million in funding has been made - the damage is estimated at €65 million - and deadlines for applications have been established. It is made clear that the report is an interim one. The expectation is that there will be a substantial amount of other material to be considered. Specifically, provision is made for the local authorities to provide a further report by 13 February. Each of the local authorities for the areas affected will no doubt produce their assessments of the damage caused and the costs that will be required. This is an ongoing issue that is being monitored by both the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Office of Public Works and the two Ministers with responsibility, Deputies Hogan and Brian Hayes. Indeed, I am informed that the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, is visiting the mid-west area at present, so he will see what is happening there. Obviously the situation will be dealt with when the further reports are produced.

Senator Darragh O'Brien asked what we are going to do about EU funding. I gave some details about the provisions that apply and the expectation that EU funding would only be provided in the case of an emergency of a very significant nature. However, that will not stop us from looking at it carefully. The decision on whether to apply for EU funding will be taken after the Government has considered all the material, when all the information has become available to the Minister. It is expected the decision will be made by mid-February when the information comes through from the local authorities. The OPW's minor flood and coastal protection scheme for 2014 has an allocation of €45 million.

With regard to the weather warnings that were mentioned, officials in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government assessed each weather warning and decided if the trigger conditions for activating a national co-ordination group for severe weather were met, but such was not the case. The national co-ordination group met to review the response, as is standard procedure.

Throughout the period there was liaison with the transport and energy sectors on the issues arising as well.

With regard to matters of roads, bridges and issues and facilities of that nature, these are really in the charge of local authorities and more detailed information is being awaited from the local authorities in response to those issues.

A number of Senators referred to climate change and the matter is relevant to the situation. We have the national climate change adaption framework in place and it was published by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in 2012. There is an expectation that the draft document establishing the principles, and involving an integrated approach with all of the stakeholders, institutions, etc., will be ready by mid-2014. The intention then will be to finalise a national response on elements of climate change that might be relevant. Those are largely the issues that were raised.

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