Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
243. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the progress made to date by his Department in the replacement by the OPW of a structure that comes under its remit (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16179/24]
View answerI have been advised that the Office of Public Works (OPW) approved funding of €90,000 in 2015 under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to Galway County Council in respect of a Coastal Erosion and Flood Risk Management study for Inishbofin Island as a whole, including the issues of concern at the East End Pier.
Galway County Council has since commissioned and completed the Coastal Erosion and Flood Risk Management study, and a draft final report is under review by the Council and the OPW. This study examined three individual areas of interest on Inishbofin Island, which included Cloonamore Bay where the East End pier is situated. It is envisaged that the report will be agreed and finalised in the coming months, and it will form the basis for subsequent applications for future works.
It is a matter for Galway County Council to identify any coastal protection/erosion works in their administrative area and it is open to Galway County Council to apply for funding under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. The Scheme's eligibility criteria, including a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial, are published on the OPW website, www.opw.ie.
