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Coastal Erosion

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 February 2014

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Questions (15, 37)

Mick Wallace

Question:

15. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider developing a long-term strategy to deal with coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9409/14]

View answer

Mick Wallace

Question:

37. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to develop a co-ordinated approach to address increased flooding problems throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9408/14]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 37 together.

The Office of Public Works is currently undertaking the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, in partnership with its technical consultants, local authorities and other key stakeholders. This is a strategic and fully co-ordinated approach that recognises the need, in line with international best practice, to move to a more sustainable, planned and risk-based approach to dealing with flooding problems.

The Programme which is focused on 300 areas of potentially significant risk, lies at the core of the assessment of flood risk and the long-term planning of the flood risk management measures throughout the country, including capital structural and non-structural measures.

The CFRAM Studies are comprehensive catchment-based studies through which, following public consultation, detailed flood maps are produced and flood risk management measures are assessed and taken to outline design. These measures will be prioritised and set out in a Flood Risk Management Plan.

The CFRAM Programme will be used to determine national priorities for State investment in flood defences, on a systematic and objective basis using Multi-Criteria Analysis. More information on the Programme is available on www.cfram.ie

Flood risk from coastal erosion is also integrated into and being assessed under the CFRAM Programme. 90 of the 300 areas of significant flood risk are in coastal areas. Coastal erosion is a natural and ongoing process and has beneficial as well as detrimental effects. It is a complex issue and requires to be addressed in a holistic manner to ensure that the best possible approach is adopted in each particular instance. Structural intervention is not always the best option and in some cases it can be difficult to justify such intervention on economic and/or environmental grounds.

There is a strategy in place to deal with coastal erosion. The primary objective of policy on coastal protection is to ensure that in areas identified as being at greatest risk of damage or loss to economic assets through coastal erosion or flooding, appropriate and sustainable measures are identified by Local Authorities to protect those assets and, where intervention measures are economically justified on cost benefit grounds and compatible with all required environmental and other statutory requirements, these are implemented subject to the availability of resources.

The Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) has surveyed and assessed the coastal erosion risk along the entire national coastline and this information will be available shortly to all Local Authorities to enable them to develop appropriate plans and strategies for the sustainable management of the coastline in their counties including the identification, prioritisation and, subject to the availability of resources, the implementation of coastal protection works both of a structural and non-structural nature as appropriate.

In some cases a “do nothing” or “no activation” intervention approach might be the most appropriate management response, and international studies have borne this out.

In the context of the damage done in the recent storms, I have made it clear that it is never going to be possible to protect all of the vulnerable areas of Irish coastline. This is why it is essential that a comprehensive risk based approach to coastal protection is followed. The Office of Public Works wrote on 10th January of this year to City and County Managers in coastal areas indicating that it will accept applications under this 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.

The Government decided on 11 February to make funding of up to €70 million available to assist local authorities with the repair and remediation of damaged public infrastructure. Of this total, an amount of up to €20 million may be made available to assist with the cost of repairing damaged coastal protection infrastructure.

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