Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Oct 1992

Vol. 134 No. 1

Adjournment Matters. - Coastal Erosion in County Galway.

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit as ucht teacht agus éisteacht lena bhfuil le rá agam i dtaobh creimeadh cósta i gContae na Gaillimhe agus go mórmhór i gConamara.

Tá mé ag iarraidh go gcuirfí airgead ar fáil leis an fhadhb seo a réiteach. Brisfidh mé síos an fhadhb i dtrí pháirt. Tá gá le hairgead chun an dochar atá déanta cheanna féin do bhóithre agus do chéanna a réiteach. Tá dochar déanta do bhóithre comhairle contae agus do bhóithre nach bóithre comhairle contae iad ach a sholáthraíonnn bealach riachtanach chuig tithe.

Tá dochar déanta freisin do bhallaí farraige agus do chéanna beaga. Níl dóthain soláthar airgid ag an údarás áitiúil leis na fadhbanna seo a réiteach. Déanadh dochar do reilige, freisin, go háirithe do Reilig Mhaigh Iorrais i gCarna agus do reilig Gorteen i gceantar Chloch na Rón.

Coastal erosion is a major problem in the Connemara area. Serious damage has already occurred to roads and piers and there is a serious problem of coastal erosion adjacent to many burial grounds. As the Minister is aware, the land of Connemara is poor and for that reason it is difficult to get suitable burial grounds and many traditional burial grounds are located near the sea. It is a cause of great local distress that coastal erosion may cause graves of relatives to be exposed.

I ask the Minister of State to make money available to rectify the damage already done and to commission a survey to establish what cost effective measures might be taken to ensure that areas of potential damage will be protected against future coastal erosion.

Coastal erosion impinges generally but particularly on farmland. There are places where cost effective steps could be taken in the form of preventative maintenance. There are other places where I accept no cost effective steps could be taken to stop coastal erosion such as some areas exposed to the Atlantic where no measure could roll back the tide. In these areas a survey should be carried out on the present situation and where it would not be cost effective to stop possible erosion some scheme of compensation should be put in place to compensate farmers for loss of farmlands.

Glacaim leis go mbeadh an cineál talún a bhfuilim ag tagairt dó, thar a bheith beag i gcomhthéacs talún iomlán na tíre. Tá mé ag caint ar acra anseo agus dhá acra ansiúd. In áiteanna ar nós Inis Meáin in Oileán Árainn nó ceantar an Chloiginn i dtuaisceart Chonamara, is ionann sé acra an fheirmeora sa Chloigeann, nó dhá acra an fheirmeora in Árainn agus céad nó dhá chéad acra an fheirmeora sa Golden Vale. Tá sé tábhachtach mar sin go mbeadh íocaíocht le fáil ag feirmeoirí an chósta má chailleann siad a gcuid talún. Gan suirbhé a chosnóidh airgead, ní féidir é sin a dhéanamh, amach anseo, mar ní bheidh a fhios go barainneach, cé mhéad talúin atá caillte ag feirmeoirí éagsúla.

Ba mhaith liom trácht faoi leith ar fhadhbanna muintir na n-oileán sa chás seo. Fadhb mhór is ea creimeadh cósta ar na hoileáin Árainn agus ar Inis Bó Finne. Tá fadhb faoi leith le sonrú in Inis Mór, i gCill Muiribhe agus i gCill Éanna maidir le creimeadh cósta agus an dochar atá á dheanamh do bhóithre an oileáin.

Tá súil agam go dtógfar na céimeanna cuíl sna cásanna seo. Baineann siad le saol pobal an chósta.

Níl smacht ag an Rialtas ná ag aon duine beo ar an taoide ach creidim go gcaithfear gníomhú chun daoine a chosaint óna torthaí is measa a éirionn as na farraigí arda ón Atlantach, a bhriseann agus a mhilleann bunstructúir agus talamh ar a mbíonn muintir an chósta ag brath.

Táim buíoch den Aire as ucht éisteacht leis an achainí seo agus tá súil agam go nglacfar céimeanna ina thaobh amach anseo.

Aire Stáit ag Roinn na Mara (Mr. Gallagher)

Glacaim le cuid mhaith a dúirt an Seanadóir maidir le creimeadh cósta. Tá an fhadhb seo ar cheann de na fadhbanna is measa i gcontaethe an chósta, agus ar na hoileáin.

Ina dhiaidh sin is é soláthar airgid an fhadhb is mó. Titeann an príomhchúram sa ghnó seo ar an rialtas áitiúil agus d'iarramar ar na húdaráis sna contaetha thart faoin gcósta tuairisc a ullmhú maidir le creimeadh cósta.

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, a role in protecting their own interests. My Department's role is to faciliate the implementation of permanent protection schemes, where warranted, to prevent progressive erosion by the sea.

Parts of our coastline, including areas in County Galway, are subject to coastal erosion. As Senators will appreciate, the reshaping of parts of the coast is an ongoing natural phenomenon. Material is eroded from some locations and deposited in others, particularly during storms. The removal of beach material is also a contributory factor to coastal erosion. In this regard the Oireachtas has recently passed the Foreshore (Amendment) Act, 1992 which will protect and safeguard our valuable beaches and sand dunes. It is every citizen's responsibility as well as privilege to cherish and preserve the unique and beautiful heritage of sands, sand dunes and cliff systems around our coast. My Department have the responsibility to protect the public interest by controlling what material may be taken from the seashore and the means, times and conditions for taking or disturbing it.

Selfish or greedy exploitation of the seashore can destroy a priceless resource and it may be difficult or even impossible to reverse the damage. The Foreshore Act, 1992, was put in place with its tough penalties in order to protect our valuable beaches and sand dunes from people who vandalise them for commercial purposes.

We accept that coastal erosion is something over which we do not have total control; however, I would suggest that we have some control over it. This Act will ensure that steps are taken by the Department of the Marine to give power to ban sand or stone removal from any beach or classes of beach; to ban any specified method of sand removal; to control the quantities or times of any removals or disturbance; to ban any activity or vehicle which disturbs the seashore; and local authorities can take action themselves.

When valuable property or vital services are threatened, there is a strong case for making available the necessary resources for protection works. It is important to realise that worthwhile schemes, designed to give long term relief, are generally expensive — £2 million for Arklow, an estimated £4 million for Bray and £6 million for Rosslare Strand. Furthermore, appropriate solutions require study, often over a considerable period of time.

My Department have limited funds at their disposal for coast protection schemes. These funds are committed to ongoing projects at Rosslare Strand, the Maharees, County Kerry, and the maintenance of existing coast protection schemes at Rosslare Strand and Rossnowlagh, County Donegal which my Department are statutorily required to maintain under the Coast Protection Act, 1963. It will not be possible to provide funding for coast protection works in County Galway this year.

Last year, my Department requested each local coastal authority to submit priorities for coast protection schemes with a view to drawing up a national programme of coast protection works for the coming years. The House will appreciate that before definite decisions can be taken it is necessary that we receive from the maritime counties with an erosion problem the necessary basic information. Despite the strong case the Senator has made, his own county of which he is a member of the local authority, has not yet submitted proposals for coastal protection works.

The National Coastal Erosion Committee, comprising local authority engineers have recently produced their report on "Coastal Management — A Case for Action" and I have received a copy. This will be given careful consideration in my Department and I will be considering it and relevant other solutions in conjunction with the maritime local authorities.

We are well aware — I come from a maritime county — of the problems being experienced by counties along the coast and would be anxious to formulate some policy in relation to erosion. I ask the local authorities at the earliest possible date to submit their proposals in order that we may continue with our efforts.