John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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259. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that waste from the former Bray town council dump at Bray Harbour is being washed into the Irish Sea; if so, the action being taken to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3399/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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In accordance with the provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996, the preparation and adoption of a waste management plan is the statutory responsibility of the local authority or authorities concerned, and under section 60(3) of the Act I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it.

However, I am aware of the former Bray Municipal Landfill which was operated by Bray Urban District Council (now part of Wicklow County Council) at North Beach, Bray. This site is located largely within the county boundary of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and has been the subject of on-going erosion by winter storms at sea over a prolonged period. The majority of this site is now in the private ownership of Woodbrook Golf Club.

At the end of January 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency advised Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to carry out an Environmental Risk Assessment, including site investigations.

On foot of this advice, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council appointed Fehily Timoney & Company to carry out the necessary work. A detailed site investigation has been carried out and a technical report is currently being considered by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Wicklow County Council and the EPA.

The purpose of this technical report is to identify any remedial measures that may be required to protect the environment in the immediate area of the former landfill. Regular monitoring and inspections of the beach are being carried out by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Wicklow County Council and Woodbrook Golf Club. In addition Woodbrook Golf Club has assigned one of their staff members to do a regular clean-up of any debris found on the beach.