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

The Government decided on 11 February, 2014 to make available funding of up to €69.5 million 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 based on estimates provided by the local authorities concerned. Of the total amount being made available, up to €19.6 million is available via the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the repair of damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure. The allocation of funding to local authorities under the Government Decision was to specifically address the repair of existing damaged infrastructure as a matter of priority.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG) wrote to Kerry County Council indicating, based on the estimate submitted by the Council to that Department, that up to €1,226,920 is being made available to the Council via the OPW to undertake the necessary repair works to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure. The estimates submitted by Kerry County Council to the DoECLG included both repair and strengthening works to an embankment at Cromane Lower. The strengthening element falls outside of the scope of the Government Decision and the Council will need to address this separately and outside of the current process aimed at repairs and emergency works.

The Council must submit overall programmes of works to the DoECLG detailing how it proposes to spend the total allocation that is being made available. The Council must also submit the relevant elements of its programme to each Department from whom funding will be made available for consideration of technical aspects of the proposed works. When the Council's programme of coastal protection and flood defence projects is received by the OPW it will be reviewed having regard to related guidance issued by the DoECLG to the local authorities.

The OPW has informed the local authorities that in order to assist them in a practical way and to avoid any potential cash-flow issues, it will consider requests for advance funding of up to 80% of the estimated cost of approved projects where a contract for works has been made.