Vol. 490 No. 6
59 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the safeguards, if any, he has in place in the event of global warming raising sea levels in the future, which has been forecasted by the vast majority of experts in this field, in view of the low sea levels of our four major cities. [10865/98]
The impact of climate change on sea levels and adaptation requirements are dealt with in Chapter 7 of Ireland's Second National Communication under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
Reference is also made in that Chapter to a Coastal Zone Management Strategy Study jointly commissioned by my Department and the Departments of the Marine and Natural Resources and Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. The consultants report and discussion document Coastal Zone Management — A Draft Policy for Ireland were published last December and include aspects relating to global climate change and policies to address this, based on a long-term view. The strategy study formed the basis of a public consultation seminar held on 30 March 1998. Proposals for the further development of national policy on the coastal zone will be brought to Government in due course, taking into account the various views obtained during the public consultation process.
