Primary responsibility for coastal protection lies with the property owner, whether it be a private individual or a local authority. The Department of the Marine's role is to work in conjunction with local authorities on the management of the coastal zone rather than on individual sites.
EC Structural Funds are being sought under the National Plan to help address the growing erosion problem. A sum of £5.5 million is to be made available over the period 1994 through 1999. In order to draw up a national coastal protection plan, all maritime local authorities were invited to submit proposals for addressing serious erosion problems in their administrative areas. These proposals are with the Department and are currently being examined with a view to their possible inclusion in the plan.