Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter. The challenge posed by rising sea levels is clear. 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 the matter.

Ireland’s coast faces many challenges associated with climate change, for example, 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 on how the State should best manage its changing coast having regard to such future risks and taking account of the complex inter-relationships that result from the interaction between the marine and terrestrial environment.

The Government established an interdepartmental group to prepare a 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 was jointly chaired by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the OPW and supported by a technical working group.

The scoping report on national coastal change management was approved and published by the Government in October last year. That report set out 15 recommendations that inform an evidence-based coastal change management strategy to address and manage the impacts of coastal change over the short, medium and longer terms that will be put in place.The strategy set out in the scoping report involves an integrated whole-of-government approach with actions across many sectors and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is going to play a key role in co-ordinating and delivering the essential work programme. This work is being progressed through the establishment of an interdepartmental steering group. That group met in May 2024 and is due to meet again in the coming weeks. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage acts as chair of the steering group and as policy lead. In particular, it co-ordinates the work across Government with respect to responding in a co-ordinated way to the challenge of coastal change.

The OPW will act as the national lead co-ordinating body for the assessment of coastal change hazards and risks and the assessment of technical options and constraints.

With regard to responding to coastal change, local authorities are generally responsible for the management of matters associated with coastal change and erosion in their respective administrative areas. Other coastal risks, such as those to transport and agricultural business, are addressed locally and through appropriate sectoral responses. There are a number of ongoing programmes to inform how mitigation of the effects of coastal erosion can be tackled. For example, the OPW has an ongoing coastal monitoring survey programme and initial target sites were selected based on their significant exposure to coastal erosion and change. They are based on the recommendations of associated detailed coastal studies. The information that is derived from the programme will help inform and support the planning, design and testing of new adaptation measures to tackle the effects of climate change in the coastal zone.