Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
73. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 20 January 2022, the timeline for the expected completion of the report of the Interdepartmental Group on Managing Coastal Change; if the final report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11402/22]
View answerThe Government established the Inter-Departmental Group on Managing Coastal Change to scope out an approach for the development of a national co-ordinated and integrated strategy to manage the projected impact of coastal change to our coastal communities. The Inter-Departmental Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the OPW and will bring forward options and recommendations for the Government to consider. The Inter-Departmental Group has met on 3 occasions to date and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and I attended the Group’s first meeting. The Group is also supported by a Technical Working Group.
During 2021, to assist and support the work of the Group, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the OPW also engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with relevant Departments and key stakeholders to discuss the emerging work of the Group and for issues relating to coastal change management to be explored and reflected upon in the context of the particular operations of the participating organisations. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which is providing the Secretariat to the Group, has informed my Office that a further meeting of the Inter-Departmental Group is due to be convened shortly to progress towards the finalisation of its report. It is expected that the report will be finalised by the Group during quarter 2, 2022 and it is intended that the report will then be presented to the Government for its consideration, including as to publication of the report.
