Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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266. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding funding for damaged coastal areas (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40416/14]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government Decision of 11 February, 2014 specifically addressed the allocation of funding for the repair of existing public infrastructure damaged by storms in the period of 13th December to 6th January 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 was being made 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 estimates submitted by Kerry County Council to the DoECLG included for strengthening works at Incherea, Glenbeigh and both repair and strengthening works at Cromane Lower However, strengthening works fall outside of the scope of the Government Decision. Only the repair element of projects such as that at Cromane Lower are covered under the allocation. The programme of works the Council submitted to the OPW detailing how it proposes to spend the total allocation of €1,226,920 included an amount of €30,000 for repairs to a coastal embankment at Cromane Lower. This programme was approved, and it is a matter for the Council to prioritise and progress these works and to draw down the funding that was allocated. An application to draw down part of the funding was submitted by the Council last week and this is currently being processed. The application did not include an amount for drawdown in relation to the repair work for the embankment at Cromane Lower.

The Council will need to address the strengthening works at Cromane Lower and Incherea separately and outside of the current process aimed at storm repairs and emergency works only.