Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2014
112. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the impact of the recent storm damage on Ireland’s maritime facilities and on coastal erosion; the implications for roads and transport infrastructure; the resultant actions of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7524/14]
View answerBetween 18 December last year and the present time, 8 storms have affected Ireland and caused significant damage and disruption.
The local authorities for coastal counties have reported significant damage to roads and other public structures near coasts. The most seriously affected were western and southern coastal counties, where many piers, promenades, sea walls, rock armour and adjacent roads and car parks were damaged, in some cases severely. Islands along those coasts also suffered badly.
As part of the National Emergency Coordination Group for Severe Weather, my Department has worked closely with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government which has the lead role for severe weather events. Last week, the Government considered a Report on the severe weather that affected Ireland from 13 December to 6 January and the damage caused to local authority, transport and other infrastructure. The Government agreed that €70m euro would be made available for a programme of repair and remediation works. This funding will be directed to restoring roads, coastal protection and other infrastructure and amenities and includes €16m for roads, €20m for restoring coastal protection infrastructure, €26 m for local authority infrastructure, tourism, amenity and community infrastructure, and piers/harbours, and €8m for other transport and OPW infrastructure, including €1.5m for embankment repairs near Shannon Airport.
In addition to the above, my Department estimates that damage to port infrastructure and facilities over the period of the earlier storms was in the region of €4.4m. Ports will plan and carry out their own restoration works. All Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) aid to navigation services have remained operational but have been damaged in the earlier and more recent storms. Costs for damage to CIL property around the coast are estimated at over €0.5m.
Further damage is likely to have been caused by the more recent storms and these will continued to be monitored by the National Emergency Coordination Group.
