Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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86. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a timeframe for when additional funding will be provided for coastal protection works (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12467/14]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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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 being made available up to €19.6 million is available via the Office of Public Works for the repair of damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government wrote to Kerry County Council on 27 February, 2014 indicating that, based on the estimates submitted by the Council to that Department, an amount of up to €2,699,991 is being made available to the Council to undertake the necessary repairs works. Of that total, an amount of €1,226,920 is available via the OPW in respect of the cost of repairs to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure in the county.

Kerry County Council must submit a programme of works to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government indicating how it proposes to spend the overall allocation that is being made available to it. The Council has also submitted applications for funding to the OPW in respect of the coastal protection and flood defence repair works it proposes to undertake including at the location referred to by the Deputy. These applications have been reviewed by the OPW which wrote to the Council on 11 March 2014 in relation to the matter.