The Office of Public Works is not the competent authority under planning regulations or foreshore regulations/legislation to grant any sort of temporary permission to carry out emergency coastal erosion preventative works. This is a matter for the Local Authority or, in the case of Foreshore licences, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
The only approval that the OPW is authorised to grant in this context is for funding under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. I understand that officials from my Office have recently met with counterparts from Donegal County Council to advise on this option and, while I am advised that an application has recently been received from Donegal County Council for works at Lagg beach, no application has to date been received in this Office for works at Ballyliffin.