asked the Taoiseach if in view of the increasing loss of land through coast erosion, breaching of embankments, tidal flooding, etc., and the practical impossibility of finding any Department of State to accept responsibility for it he will assign some Department to be responsible for coast erosion, tidal flooding, reclamation of land now covered by tidal waters, etc., and place funds at its disposal for the relief of this very urgent problem.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coast Erosion.
5.
The Minister for Finance is having a Bill prepared which will set out the proposed financial and other arrangements dealing with coast erosion and he hopes to introduce the Bill in this House later this year. It is intended that the Bill would assign certain duties in connection with coast erosion to the Office of Public Works.
The Department of Lands is responsible for the maintenance of a limited number of embankments in respect of which the Land Commission administer trust funds for the upkeep of the embankments.
The Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, contains a provision which empowers the transfer to the Commissioners of Public Works of embankments constructed for the protection of lands purchased under the Land Purchase Acts or the subject of proceedings under those Acts. In addition the Commissioners assume responsibility for embankments included in schemes executed under Part 2 of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The total length of embankments for which the Commissioners are at present liable is approximately 200 miles.
I notice that it is the intention of the Government to introduce a Coast Erosion Bill later this year. In the meantime, am I to take it that the people who have suffered such heavy losses will have to grin and bear them?
That seems to me to be an entirely different matter.