asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide funds to prevent coastal erosion which is seriously threatening the village of Inver, County Donegal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Coast Erosion.
48.
Mr. Kenny
The Commissioners of Public Works have not received any proposal under the Coast Protection Act, 1963 concerning coastal erosion threatening the village of Inver. Under the Act it would be a matter for the Donegal County Council to investigate and consider such a proposal in the first instance.
The Commissioners have, however, received a proposal from the Donegal County Council for coast protection works affecting an area of Kilmacreddan a few miles west of Inver village. Because of more urgent commitments, in County Donegal and elsewhere, I cannot say when this proposal will be reached.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this particular part of the coast has a serious problem which is threatening the village of Inver and has been the subject of much protest and controversy over the last few years? If the county council have not submitted a formal proposal to the Parliamentary Secretary's Department under the 1963 Act would he look up the records where he will find that in my time in that office I had it inspected by the Office of Public Works? Surely he must have a report on it in relation to the many times which his office have been approached in regard to it.
Mr. Kenny
An inspection is not a proposal.
I know.
Mr. Kenny
Before you can implement the Act you must, first of all, have a proposal from the county council. Therefore if the county council do their business properly we can act on that proposal. It must come first from the local authority.
I am well aware that the proposal must be formulated by the county council ultimately but the Parliamentary Secretary must know that there are a lot of comings and goings before that takes place. There has been a lot of communication with his office.
A question, please.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary ask the county council to submit a proposal? Would he not take steps, in relation to his own personal interest in County Donegal, to have this territory saved from erosion and some of the most important houses in Ireland saved?
Mr. Kenny
I understand what the Deputy means by my personal interest in County Donegal but, first of all, the people must help themselves. The Deputy's local authority should submit a formal proposal for the implementation of the Coast Protection Act, 1963. That should be done first. If an inspection was carried out without that proposal then it was in contravention of the Act.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary has got in touch with Donegal County Council as a result of the many representations made to him with regard to this particular matter by Deputies of different parties, including his own?
Mr. Kenny
I have not had any for the Inver village proposal. The nearest one was for Kilmacreddan which is a relatively short distance west of Inver village. In this instance, before I can act I must be approached by the Donegal County Council. If the Deputy does that or gets the council to do it I shall act.
Is the Minister aware, in respect of these two proposals, that Kilmacreddan, which is only one mile from Inver, is quite an important job but there are not nearly as many houses involved as in the case of Inver where an entire village is concerned? I would ask the Minister to send an inspector down to satisfy himself that this is a matter of grave urgency. The entire village is in danger.
Mr. Kenny
We shall see about that later on but first I shall look up whatever representations were made in this case. I do not think any formal application was made by Donegal County Council. If an inspection was carried out without that formal proposal it was in contravention of the Act which requires a formal proposal from the local authority before the provisions of the Act can be implemented.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper. We must have some finality in regard to Question Time.