Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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78. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the National Coastal Change Management Strategy steering group will report on its initial findings and recommendations given that the group was due to report within six months of its foundation in September 2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36592/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Government established the Inter-Departmental Group on Managing Coastal Change to scope out an approach for the development of a national co-ordinated and integrated strategy to manage the projected impact of coastal change to our coastal communities. The purpose of the steering group is to set out a high level scoping report for tackling the issue of sea level change. The Inter-Departmental Group is jointly chaired by my Department and the OPW and will bring forward options and recommendations for the Government to consider. The Inter-Departmental Group has met on three occasions to date and is also supported by a Technical Working Group, and bilateral engagements were held with a number of Department/Organisation.

The Technical Working Group met in May to consider the range of data, information and research available across State organisations and that which is needed in the short, medium and longer terms to monitor the projected impact of coastal change associated with sea level rise.

While I am precluded from commenting on any particular planning application, I understand, that its assessment is not directly contingent on the preparation of the scoping report.

However, the Inter-Departmental Group Steering Group last met in June and have now advanced the drafting and finalising of its report considerably. This report, when fully finalised, will be presented to Government for their consideration.