Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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365. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount allocated to Kerry County Council for coastal protection works and flood relief measures following the winter storms and flooding; the expenditure to date of this designated funding to County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34133/14]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Following on the Government Decision of 11 February 2014, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG) wrote to Kerry County Council indicating that, based on the estimate submitted by the Council to that Department, up to €1,226,920 is available to the Council via the Office of Public Works (OPW) to undertake the necessary repair works to damaged coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure.

The Council submitted an overall programme of works to the DoECLG detailing how it proposes to spend the total allocation and submitted the relevant elements of its programme to the OPW. The OPW reviewed the programme having regard to related guidance issued by the DoECLG to the local authorities and notified the Council that it was approved.

Kerry County Council has not drawn down any of the allocated funding to date. The OPW understands that repair works are ongoing and that the Council expects to draw down most of the allocated funding before the end of the year.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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366. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total amount of projects identified during January-February 2014 following the storms and flooding destruction; the locations of the projects; the position regarding the progress of work on these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34136/14]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works is responsible only for the approval of programmes of works and the disbursement to local authorities of the funding allocated by Government for repair of damage to public coastal protection infrastructure. The Departments of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Transport, Tourism and Sport and Agriculture, Food and the Marine are responsible for the approval of programmes of work and the disbursement of funding for repair of other damaged public infrastructure such as roads, piers, harbours and other community facilities and amenities.

The following table lists the locations of 176 projects included in the programmes of works submitted by local authorities to the Office of Public Works and approved by the OPW on foot of the Government Decision of 11 February, 2014, which allocated funding of up to €19.6 million for coastal protection repair works following the coastal storm flood damage from 13 December, 2013 to 6 January, 2014 based on estimates provided by the local authorities.

The prioritisation and progression of projects is entirely a matter for the local authorities concerned, and they would be best placed to provide the up to date position in relation to each project.