Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the proposal contained in the Dublin Bay study for the development of a South Bull Island along Sandymount Strand in the context of flood relief measures for Dublin city; if his Department made a submission to the study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35261/07]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the proposal contained in the Dublin Bay study for the development of the South Bull Island along Sandymount Strand in the context of flood relief measures for Dublin city; if his Department made a submission to the study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35492/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 527 together.

Responsibility at Ministerial level for coastal flood protection and relief currently rests with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In accordance with a recent Government decision, however, arrangements are to be made for the transfer of these functions to my Department.

Dublin City Council has a policy objective in its Development Plan 2005-11 to prepare a plan for Dublin Bay encompassing the area from, and including, North Bull Island and the South Wall to Booterstown, and concentrating also on the Port area. It is envisaged that this Plan will help to identify and determine the role of that part of the Bay as an economic, amenity, recreational, environmental and ecological resource. The Council established a Steering Group in 2006 to progress the objective and my Department is represented on the Group. Consultants were commissioned in November 2006 to prepare a study of Dublin Bay including the Port area.

The consultants' report, entitled A Vision for Dublin Bay, went on public display on 1 October 2007 with a four-week period for receipt of comments and submissions. The report contained a number of possible scenarios for the future development and protection of the Bay area. I understand that a large number of submissions have been received and these are currently being considered by the Council.

The consultants' report specifically addressed the need for flood prevention and mitigation measures to protect the City and Port in the event of sea water levels rising as a result of climate change. The report, as its authors state, "imagines" four alternative approaches, two of which would involve a newly constructed South Bull Island. These are, at this stage, simply visions for how flood prevention and relief might be addressed: they are not proposed solutions, and do not go into the range of economic, social, environmental, ecological, design and engineering issues that would need to be addressed in a detailed flood prevention and relief plan for the City and the Port.