Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising the matter and I am pleased to provide an update. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has overall responsibility for Government policy on coastal strategy.Local authorities lead on identifying works to protect the coast in their respective areas. The primary objective of Government policy on coastal protection is to ensure that, in areas identified as being at greatest risk of damage or loss of economic assets through coastal flooding, appropriate and sustainable measures are identified by local authorities to protect those assets. Where defence measures are economically justified and compatible with all required environmental and other statutory requirements, they can be implemented subject to the availability of resources.

The Government decided, on 11 February 2014, to make available up to €69.5 million, based on estimates provided by the local authorities concerned, for a programme of repair and remediation works to roads, coastal protection and flood defence and other public infrastructure damaged in the storms from 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014. Of the total amount made available, up to €19. 6 million was provided via the Office of Public Works for the repair of damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure. Based on the estimates submitted by local authorities to the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, that Department contacted all affected local authorities indicating the amounts being made available to the councils to undertake the necessary repairs works. This included the amounts available via the OPW in respect of the cost of repairs to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure in the country.

The amount made available to Clare County Council for coastal protection repair works was €9,712,385. Clare County Council submitted to the OPW a programme of works based on its allocation of €9,712,385, and this included repair works at Spanish Point, County Clare. Further to that, 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. In this regard, the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme provides funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation, coastal protection works or studies costing less than €750,000 each to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. In 2015, Clare County Council received funding of €65,000 from the OPW under this scheme for a coastal erosion and risk management study from Quilty to Miltown Malbay, which produced recommendations for works at Spanish Point, County Clare. In September 2018, on foot of those recommendations, Clare County Council made an application to the OPW for funding for the provision of rock armour to protect against cliff erosion caused by waves and tides at Spanish Point. This application is currently under consideration. As soon as a decision is made on this application, this will issue to the council.