Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
264. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will make emergency funding available for coastal protection works at Rossbeigh Beach, Glenbeigh, County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1194/14]
View answer269. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will make emergency funding available for coastal protection works in County Kerry; if he will take into consideration the considerable damage that has been done to family homes, private property, businesses, hundreds of acres of sand dunes, public roads and footpaths, beach walls, access slipways to the beaches, playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts and public car parks during the Christmas and new year period; if he will take into consideration the fact that hundreds of homes and businesses are now at risk from tidal flooding in County Kerry; if he will make emergency funding available to repair and strengthen the embankments throughout the county so these homes, businesses and properties can be protected; if he will take into consideration that high tides are again forecast for the end of January and beginning of February and immediate action is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1235/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 269 together.
The investigation and addressing of coastal erosion problems are matters for Kerry County Council in the first instance. It is open to the Council to apply for funding to deal with coastal erosion under the Office of Public Work's (OPW) Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the eligibility criteria, which include a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, and having regard to the overall availability of funding.
The Office of Public Works wrote on 10 January to City and County Managers in coastal areas indicating that it will accept applications under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme for funding to assist with repairs to built flood defences and coastal protection structures which have been damaged by the recent storms. This is a once-off measure to reinstate built coastal defences to their pre storm condition. The specific application form for this entitled Coastal Storm Damage Flooding Questionnaire 2014 is available on OPW's website www.opw.ie under Flood Risk Management.
Applications approved under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme will be funded from OPW's overall Flood Risk Management capital allocation, which for 2014 is €44.2m. It is not possible at this point to say how much of the overall capital provision will be allocated for coastal erosion measures in Co. Kerry in 2014.
