Enda Kenny
Question:294 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for the Marine the amount of money made available for protection from coastal erosion in County Mayo in 1992; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Coastal Erosion.
Enda Kenny
Question:297 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for the Marine the amount of money allocated for the protection of coastal erosion each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Enda Kenny
Question:299 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for the Marine the proposals, if any, he has to deal with coastal erosion in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose answering Questions Nos. 294, 297 and 299 together.
Primary responsibility for coast protection rests with local coastal authorities, some of which have undertaken protection work themselves. Owners of private property have of course, the major role in protecting their own property.
In order to formulate a programme of coast protection works for the next few years, the Department wrote to all maritime local authorities, Mayo included, in 1991, requesting them to submit a list of priorities for coast protection projects which they consider would be warranted and feasible and for which they would be prepared to make funds available. To-date no reply has been received from Mayo County Council.
When all the proposals from the various local authorities have been received I will examine the options available to me within available resources and put in place a comprehensive coast protection programme in which Mayo will be included. The implementation of any programme will, of course, depend on the availability of funding from national and Community sources.
Expenditure from the Vote of the Office of Public Works on coast protection in 1989 and from the Vote of the Department in 1990, 1991 and 1992 was as follows:—
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
£ |
|
|
1989 |
90,528 |
|
1990 |
1,049,754 |
|
1991 |
508,657 |
|
1992 |
200,000 |
In 1992 no money was spent on coast protection works in County Mayo. The bulk of the allocation was spent on schemes my Department were already committed to.