Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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298. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of the levels of coastal erosion and issues pertaining to coastal reclamation which are of concern along the coastline in east County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34307/15]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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299. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of money allocated from 2011 to 2015 to date to Meath County Council to provide coastal defences and to address coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34308/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 299 together.

It is the responsibility of local authorities in the first instance, including Meath County Council, to identify, investigate and address on a prioritised basis problems of coastal erosion in their areas. The primary objective of policy on coastal protection is to ensure that in areas identified as being at greatest risk of damage or loss to economic assets through coastal erosion or flooding, appropriate and sustainable measures are identified by local authorities to protect those assets and, where such measures are economically justified on cost benefit grounds and compatible with all required environmental and other statutory requirements, they are implemented subject to the availability of resources.

The Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) has surveyed and assessed the coastal erosion risk along the entire national coastline and this information is available to all local authorities to enable them to develop appropriate plans and strategies for the sustainable management of the coastline in their counties including the identification, prioritisation and, subject to the availability of resources, the implementation of coastal protection works both of a structural and non-structural nature.

Following the winter storms of December 2013 and January 2014 the Government allocated emergency funding via the Office of Public Works (OPW) of up to €75,000 for coastal storm damage repair to Meath County Council to reinstate built coastal defences to their pre-storm condition. The Council submitted a programme of works to OPW for a project at Laytown related to this allocation. It is a matter for the Council to progress the works. To date, the Council has not drawn down the allocation.

It is open to the Council to apply for funding for coastal protection measures under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation and Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be considered in accordance with the scheme eligibility criteria, which include a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of resources for flood risk management. Application forms and guidance material are available on the OPW's website under Flood Risk Management. Aside from the allocation of €75,000 in special storm damage repair funding, Meath County Council has neither applied for nor been allocated any funding from the OPW in relation to coastal erosion or protection measures.