It is a matter for the local authorities in the first instance to investigate and address flood defences and coastal protection issues generally in each county, including remedial works required on foot of damage from the storms of the 3rd and 6th of January 2014 and again on the 1st of February 2014.
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government which is the Lead Government Department for the response to severe weather requested all local authorities to carry out assessments of the storm damage to public infrastructure and facilities with estimated costs of repair. Following receipt of the reports from local authorities the Department submitted a Report to Government on the overall position on storm damage. Based on this Report the Government decided to allocate up to €70 million funding to repair the damage, of which up to €20 million relates to damage to coastal protection infrastructure.
The Office of Public Works wrote on 10 January 2014 to City and County Managers in coastal areas indicating that it will accept applications under the Minor Works 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 www.opw.ie under Flood Risk Management. Any work for which funding is sought will be carried out by local authorities.
The question of the most appropriate form of coastal protection in any location, including rock armour type structures, is a matter for consideration by the relevant local authority in the first instance. In areas identified as being at greatest risk of damage to or loss of economic assets through coastal erosion or flooding, appropriate and sustainable measures should be identified by local authorities to protect those assets. Where intervention measures are economically justified on cost benefit grounds and compatible with all required environmental and other statutory requirements, these may implemented subject to the availability of resources. OPW's ongoing Catchment Flood Risk Management (CFRAM) study is addressing flood risk, including coastal flood risk, on a nationwide scale. Flood maps will be available later this year to include 90 at risk coastal areas and flood risk management plans with preferred options for dealing with flood risk for these areas are to be available in 2015.
