Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 November 2014
77. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding a coastal repair works project (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42504/14]
View answerThe Government Decision of 11 February 2014 allocated total funding of up to €69.5 million for clean-up, repair and restoration works in relation to public infrastructure that was damaged as a result of severe weather in the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014. Of this sum of €69.5 million, up to €19.6 million was allocated for repair of existing coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure based on cost estimates and submissions made by the local authorities concerned to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG).
The DoECLG wrote to Councils notifying them of their allocations under the Government Decision and, in this regard, Clare County Council was informed that, based on its submission and estimate of repair costs, up to €8,276,433 was being made available for repair of damaged coastal protection infrastructure in Clare.
The work at Quilty was not included as repair costs in the Council's submission to the D/EC&LG and, consequently, was not included in that Department's notified allocation for repair funding to the Council following the Government decision. The works at Quilty were not included also in the Council's programme of works which was submitted to and approved by the Office of Public Works (OPW)*.
Additionally, it was pointed out to the Council that the Government Decision stated that new coastal protection and coastal defences or works to strengthen existing defences, which are separate from the repair and restoration works on which the €19.6m figure was based, would require more detailed examination in the context of the OPW Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management studies.
*Clare County Council did submit a number of applications to the OPW following the Government decision. These included an application for Quilty, Co. Clare in the sum of €189,833 for repairs to existing rock armour and an existing wall which was damaged and collapsed during the storms. This application however falls outside of the scope of the specific funding allocation provided by the Government Decision of 11 February in that the damage occurred as a result of the severe weather and high tides experienced in February and the Government decision related only to storm damage occurring in the period 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014.
