Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1993

Vol. 432 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - County Wexford Coast Erosion.

Mrs. Doyle

I am glad to have this opportunity to bring to the notice of the House the critical problem of coast erosion affecting the village of Cahore on the Wexford coastline between Gorey and Wexford town.

I would also like the Minister to assure me that under the Structural Funds coast protection and maintenance works will be included because that will be the essential ingredient to address the problem in Cahore and, indeed, all the other villages in Wexford as well as other maritime counties that do not have rock abutment but which have only sand dunes between them and the sea.

There has been an ongoing problem for some time in Cahore. After the 1989-90 winter storms Wexford County Council expended £50,000, 50 per cent of which was recouped to them from the Minister's Department, to protect the pier in Cahore. However, there has been progressive erosion since, as there had been over the years before the storms of that particular winter.

Cahore represents a small part of the 80 miles of sandy beach in Wexford. I would like the Minister to give an assurance that he accepts the principle of central Government funding for coast protection and maintenance works. Now that the Coast Protection Act is effectively obsolete, will the Minister indicate that he will direct moneys for the protection and support of the structures in and around Cahore village. I realise we cannot hold the sea back indefinitely on all our vulnerable coastline, but we must have a selective policy of retreat whereby we designate the areas that we will defend against the forces of nature, the sea, and draw moneys from the Structural Funds to protect those areas.

Rosslare Strand has been an ongoing problem. We have yet to receive the moneys for this year and we need assurances in this regard. We have major problems with Courtown pier and the residents of Cahore village are seriously under threat at this time.

I would like to read into the record a letter from the Save Cahore Fund which I and other Oireachtas Members recently received. It refers to:

... the utmost urgency for some action to be taken to save the small village of Cahore near Gorey in County Wexford.

For the past three years, we [the local residents] have been trying to get some action which would help alleviate the fears of local residents with regard to the safety of their homes.

Some small amount of work (large boulders placed on the beach by the county council) has been done but it is feared that, because the work has not continued [unfortunately Wexford County Council's financial position does not allow them spend money on coastal defences] a further problem could arise due to tidal conditions etc.

While we understand that there are a lot of important problems facing the country at the moment we do feel that we have some right to benefit from the large sums of money being injected into the country by way of Structural Funds from the European Community.

I would like the Minister to assure me tonight that moneys will be made available from the Structural Funds for coastal defence work. The letter goes on:

We are a small community with very little voice but we do feel we have a right to be heard and, most certainly, not feel as neglected as we do.

I do hope that you can give this matter urgent consideration as we feel that time is running out.

Two years ago county engineers from the maritime local authorities produced a report entitled Coastal Zone Management: A Case for Action. I bring that to the Minister's attention and I presume he is already familiar with it. I urge him to examine that report and respond to the proposals therein of local authority county engineers from the maritime counties.

Maritime counties do not own their coastline. Our coastline is a beautiful and natural resource, but it must be funded, maintained and protected by central Exchequer funds because local authorities have no financial rate base. I urge the Minister, in confirming his help tonight for Cahore village, to indicate also that Structural Funds will be used for coastal maintenance and protection in the vulnerable maritime counties.

Minister of State at the Department of the Marine (Mr. G. O'Sullivan)

I wish to thank Deputy Doyle for raising this important issue here this evening. It is a matter which is of great concern to me personally and to the Department of the Marine.

The policy of the Department of the Marine is to facilitate the implementation of permanent protection schemes, where warranted, to prevent progressive erosion by the sea. However, primary responsibility for coastal erosion rests with coastal local authorities, some of which have undertaken protection works themselves. Owners of private property have, of course, a role in protecting their own interests.

There are limited funds available to the Department of the Marine to deal with the huge problem of coastal erosion. An amount of £200,000 was allocated in 1993. These funds are earmarked for advancing existing schemes, such as the major protection scheme at Rosslare Strand, County Wexford, and the maintenance of former Office of Public Works' schemes.

In order to formulate a national programme of coastal protection works for the next few years the Department of the Marine wrote to all coastal local authorities in 1991, inviting them to submit a list of priorities for coastal protection projects which they feel would be warranted and feasible and for which they are prepared to make funds available.

Wexford County Council, in its submission to the Department of the Marine, proposed protection works at nine locations at a total cost of over £15 million. The council's proposals are as follows: Rosslare Strand, the provision of rock groynes and beach nourishment material at a total cost of £6 million; Courtown, the provision of rock groynes and beach nourishment at a cost of £3 million; Cahore, the provision of rock groynes and beach nourishment material at a cost of £1 million; Ballyconnigar, the provisions of a rock revetment at the base of the cliffs over a distance of 0.4 km at a cost of £200,000; Ardamine, the provision of rock groynes and beach nourishment at a cost of £2 million; Pollshone, the provision of rock groynes at a cost of £500,000; Curracloe, the importation of dune material and provision of wind protection for the dunes at a cost of £1 million; Ballyteigue, the provision of dune protection at a cost of £1 million; and Cullenstown, the provision of rock armouring to stabilise the position of the river outlet and cliff slopes at a cost of £500,000.

On the basis of the submissions received, including Wexford County Council's submission, the Department of the Marine is actively seeking funding for a comprehensive coastal protection programme under the next round of Structural Funds allocations. These allocations will be determined in the National Development Plan, due over the coming months.

While no decisions have yet been made on Structural Funds allocation, I am hopeful that the Government will accord high priority to this programme and that the necessary funding will be made available.

With specific reference to Cahore in County Wexford, I wish to say that this location is being considered for inclusion in the programme. However, pending finalisation of the programme and clarification of the funding available, I am not in a position at this stage to say if or when the project can be implemented. I might also add that grant aid for repair works at Cahore amounting to £30,000 was provided in 1990 following storm damage.

On a more general note I would like to point out that the Department of the Marine recognises that the entire coastal zone represents an asset that must be protected and managed. Close co-operation between the Department of the Marine and coastal local authorities in the planning and execution of all coastal protection works is essential. Indeed, close co-operation is important with regard to the planning and management of all aspects of the coastal zone.

The Department of the Marine is currently reviewing its approaches to coastal protection. In this regard I believe the way to proceed in the future is to look beyond individual projects and embrace the concepts of coastal zone management which gives a more comprehensive overview. I agree with what the Deputy said in that there is a need for a new approach to coastal protection.