andMr. Burton asked the Minister for Finance if any works have been carried out to date under the terms of the Coast Protection Act, 1963; and, if not, if he will indicate when it is likely that any such works will commence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coast Protection Works.
4.
Mr. Gibbons
So far no proposal under the Coast Protection Act, 1963, has reached the works stage. In a number of cases, the statutory preliminary examinations have been completed or are in hands but, at present, it is not possible to say when work might commence in any particular case.
The Parliamentary Secretary will agree that this Bill came into force some couple of years ago. A great many people along the northeast coast of Cork, and elsewhere along the Irish coast, particularly at Youghal, Ballymacoda and Ballycotton, looked to this Act to afford them some protection. It is now 1965. This Act gave the Minister power to spend money on the protection of those coasts but nothing has since been done. Will the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that it is time something was done?
Mr. Gibbons
Preliminary surveys in several cases are in hands.