Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of funding applied for by Fingal County Council in relation to coastal protection works in its administrative area, broken down by geographical location; and amount sought and awarded per annum since 2000. [55291/12]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Responsibility for coastal protection was transferred to the Office of Public Works in 2009. Prior to that date responsibility for coastal protection resided with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and before that again with the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources. Information in relation to the funding applications to those Departments is not readily available to the OPW.

The Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme was commenced by OPW in July, 2009, and provides funding to local authorities to undertake measures, not costing more than €500,000 in any one instance, to alleviate localised flooding and coastal flooding or erosion problems within their administrative areas.

Details of the applications submitted by Fingal County Council under the Scheme from 2009 to date are outlined in the table below. Having assessed the applications in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, the OPW did not approve any of the applications submitted - in some cases because the cost of the proposed works exceeded the Minor Works scheme limits and in other cases because the proposed projects did not meet the Scheme's cost/benefit requirement.

The OPW introduced revised criteria under the Scheme earlier this year and Fingal County Council was advised to resubmit applications under the new criteria for any projects it wished to progress. No applications have been received to date from the Council.