Joe Behan (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 425: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her attention has been drawn to the worsening coastal erosion crisis at the Murrough in Wicklow Town; the emergency plans she has to deal with this erosion blackspot; if she has been alerted to this serious environmental problem by the local authorities in Wicklow; the outcome of discussions that have taken place on this issue, especially in terms of allocating emergency funding to deal with this crisis; the involvement her Department has had in dealing with the ongoing erosion problem at the Murrough over the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14678/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The position with regard to Coastal Erosion at the Murrough in Wicklow town has been the subject of ongoing contact between Wicklow County Council and my Department. Contact prior to September 2007 was with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources who then had responsibility for Coastal Protection matters.

It should be noted that responsibility for Coastal Protection lies with the property owner in the first instance, whether that be an individual or a Local Authority. My Department does, however, provide funding to various Local Authorities each year under the Coastal Protection Programme subject to Exchequer allocation and overall national priorities.

Funding applications were received from Wicklow County Council in 2001 and 2002 but in each case Murrough was identified as third in their order of priority. Regrettably their application in respect of Murrough was unsuccessful due to the constraints of available funding and overall national priorities.

A funding proposal for a study was submitted by Wicklow County Council in respect of Murrough in 2006 and in that year the Coastal Protection Programme provided funding of €41,250 towards the cost of the Murrough Coastal Protection Study which was carried out by RPS Consulting Engineers. This study was published in November 2007.

In February 2008 my Department invited proposals from Local Authorities for inclusion in the 2008 Coastal Protection Programme. An application was received from Wicklow County Council which included applications for funding at four locations, including the above location. The application for the above project is for funding of €3 million to cover the cost of two offshore breakwaters, as recommended by the RPS Consulting Engineers study. It should be noted this project was listed as the fourth priority of Wicklow County Council and that no application for emergency funding has been received.

All applications, including the Wicklow County Council application, are currently under consideration by my Department's Engineering Division. It is hoped to announce the Coastal Protection Programme for 2008 by early May. All applications will be given due consideration based on overall national priorities and Exchequer allocation.