Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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195. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of a sea wall (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3955/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is a matter for Kerry County Council (KCC) in the first instance to investigate and address issues of coastal protection and flooding at the location indicated. KCC was allocated €1.227m by the Government in February 2014 to carry out repair works to coastal protection infrastructure damaged in the severe storms which affected the country in late 2013 and early 2014. A further allocation of €16,000 was made to KCC in October 2015 for storm damage repairs.

No works were included by KCC in its submitted and agreed programme of storm damage repair works for a project to repair a sea wall at Fenit Island.

KCC may carry out any necessary works to the damaged sea wall using its own resources. It is open to the Council also to submit an application for funding if necessary under the Office of Public Works (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the scheme's eligibility criteria which includes a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of funding.