Michael Moynihan
Question:16 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for the Marine when moneys will be made available for the protection of extensive areas of land from the ravages of coastal erosion in the Cromane and Killorglin areas of County Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Coast Protection.
Liam Kavanagh
Question:24 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for the Marine whether he considers it appropriate for individual maritime counties to have the responsibility for the management and protection of the coastline; his views on whether adequate money is provided to combat coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Brendan Howlin
Question:32 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Marine the reason some areas of the country are grant aided more generously than others for coastal protection work; if he intends to ensure that all marine counties are given the same percentage grant support; the priorities for coastal protection in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose answering Questions Nos. 16, 24 and 32 together.
I have already outlined in detail my Department's general policy regarding coast protection when answering Dáil questions on 13 February and 12 December, 1990. I have no proposals to change the existing procedure, whereby responsibility for coast protection rests, in the first instance, with local authorities. My Department's role is to assist, financially and technically in dealing with the problem. In this regard, my Department will shortly be seeking formal proposals from maritime local authorities to deal with instances of coastal erosion in their areas.
In the meantime, the Department of the Marine have already identified a number of locations around the coast where valuable property and amenities are threatened by erosion and proposals to undertake protection works in these areas are being advanced at present. The Department have no immediate plans for protection work in the Cromane and Killorglin areas of County Kerry.
It is appropriate that there be a local contribution towards the cost of coast protection works. I am considering, in consultation with my colleague the Minister for Finance, the question of the percentage contribution to be available from the State towards the cost of major protection schemes.
I reject totally any suggestion of discrimination in the assistance of coastal protection schemes, by my Department, now or in the past. It is clear that assistance to coastal protection schemes has been administered taking account of the policy of successive Governments in relation to disadvantaged areas, the urgency and priority of particular schemes, and the availability of resources.
I would have to say on behalf of the agricultural people living in the Cromane and Killorglin areas that this is a most disappointing reply. In the first instance, extensive areas of land are threatened by erosion and, second, because it is low lying land there is a constant threat of flooding. I would strongly urge the Minister to resort to measures to protect these areas as formerly the Land Commission or the Office of Public Works kept and maintained embankments that have now been washed away. Let me say that it would be entirely inappropriate for the county council to undertake the cost of this work and I appeal to the Minister to ensure that resources are made available through the Structural Fund or other EC funds in order to ensure that the people in those areas can continue their traditional way of life, otherwise they will join the exodus from the land and emigrate.
I regret that I cannot make a reply to the Deputy in any terms other than those of my official reply, which has already been put on the record of the House. However, I want to tell him that of the £633,000 which has been allocated to deal with coastal erosion this year, quite a considerable amount of it is going to County Kerry.
But not to Cromane.
The Minister must be aware that the local authorities, whom he says have responsibility for coastal protection, do not have the money to try to prevent coastal erosion. There will have to be some kind of policy in the Department because coastal erosion is becoming so bad around our coast that it is necessary to do something about it and the local authorities can no longer cope with it.
I must ask the Deputies to proceed by way of questions rather than statements.
Is it possible to have a list of the areas selected for protection works forwarded to me?
Yes, I will send it to the Deputy.
May I have a copy of that list, too? Will the Minister consider bringing forward a new coast protection Bill because the existing legislation is so clumsy and outdated that it is impossible to do anything with it?
While I have every sympathy for Cromane, may I also remind the Minister that the coastal erosion in south County Dublin is now so bad that the DART system is in danger of being undermined.
Your area also got some money last year.
Very little.