Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 January 2014
72. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works has responsibility for the maintenance of embankments and sluices on old Land Commission schemes; if the OPW will now deal with their responsibilities at Ballymacprior, Killorglin, County Kerry, as a matter of priority, as properties in these areas were flood-damaged during the recent storm and high tides. [4770/14]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has no statutory responsibility for maintenance of former Land Commission embankments and sluices and it is not the intention that it would take responsibility for them. The OPW has no responsibility for any embankments at Ballymacprior, Killorglin, County Kerry. Following the abolition of the Land Commission, a Public Trustee administers a fund that was intended to provide for maintenance of the former Land Commission embankments. In practice, however, there is little, if any, funds remaining for maintenance of any of these structures. Maintenance works have been carried out in some places on these embankments by the relevant landowners. The investigation and addressing of coastal protection problems at these locations are matters for Kerry County Council in the first instance. It is open to the Council to apply for funding to deal with coastal protection under the Office of Public Works (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 10th January, 2014 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. Any work for which funding is sought will be carried out by the Local Authorities. It is also open to Local Authorities to carry out flood mitigation and coastal protection works using their own resources.
