I propose to share my time with Senator Cosgrave.
Adjournment Matters. - Coastal Protection.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
Is that agreed? Agreed.
The problem of coastal erosion is not confined to County Wicklow nor is the concern about the issue confined to the public representatives of any one political party.
If something is not done about coastal erosion there will be a disaster particularly along our eastern seaboard. It is widely accepted that the legislative basis on which the current coastal erosion programmes are implemented is unworkable. The Coastal Erosion Act should be repealed and rewritten. The ineffectiveness of that legislation has been widely recognised by public representatives from all political parties. In particular, I acknowledge the work of Councillor Michael Ledwidge, Chairman of Bray UDC in pointing out how unworkable are the current legislative arrangements. Allied to this unworkable legislation, successive Governments have provided woefully inadequate budgets to tackle coastal erosion. Governments of all political views have been derelict in their duties to protect the coastline and the lives, property and well being of those living along the coastline.
County Wicklow has a major problem with coastal erosion and this is widely recognised. For example, the town of Bray is under continuous threat because the sea has encroached along the sea wall, especially at the esplanade. A sum of approximately £7 to £8 million is required to make the area safe. Money has been spent in recent years, but always in response to damage done by storms or some disaster. It is only three years since a number of public representatives, including myself, phoned the then Minister for Defence from a house on the Bray seafront and asked him to put the Army on standby as we feared parts of the town would be flooded.
Arklow is another town which has been affected. Emergency work is being caried out there at present at a cost of £2 million or £1,000 per metre to build up coastal defences. However more investment is required, particularly in groynes off the coastline. There is a serious problem of beach depletion at Ennereily, the area of coastline between Mizen Head and Arklow. Every week a portion of the cliff walk falls into the sea between Bray Head and Greystones and the sea regularly breaks over the main Dublin to Wexford railway line at Kilcoole.
The problem is not confined to County Wicklow. In County Wexford, approximately £15.5 million investment is urgently required to remedy coastal erosion. At Rosslare Strand work costing approximately £6 million, is being done but we had to wait until there was a near disaster before action was taken. Recently there was a threat of houses falling into the sea at Cahore. £4 milion needs to be spent on the beaches at Cahore and Courtown. Alevmine, Polshone, Curracloe, Ballytiege, Cullenstown require multi-million pounds expenditure.
An examination of the Eolas report, Coastal Management: A case for action will show that in County Louth, 21 kilometres of coastline from Ballagar, Cruistown, Greenore, Seabank, Castlebellingham, Annagassan, Cloghercove, Dundalk, Salterstown, Seapoint, Termonfeckin require investment of approximately £12 million. There is a need along this coastline for sea walls, groynes, rock armour and gabions.
Senator Cosgrave will be addressing the situation in County Dublin, but at present the entire east coast is under threat. Cost benefit analysis will show that in some areas the threat of and damage caused by erosion will have to be sustained. However, in other areas, for example Bray and Arklow, this cannot be tolerated because millions of pounds worth of private and public property is at risk.
There will be serious danger to life and property along the eastern seaboard unless there is substantial investment in coastal protection which should be incorporated in the new plan for which we need financial contributions from Brussels. Ministers are sensitive to this issue and while there are many calls on the public purse, few serious issues have received such scant attention.
In order to address this problem, we need new legislation, an ongoing Government and Opposition parties. It is protection programme and an ongoing multi-annual budget agreed by both Government and opposition parties. It is clear that local authorities are standing like Dutch boys with their fingers in the dyke. It is only a matter of time before there is a major disaster when it will be too late and too costly to do anything about it.
I thank Senator Roche for allowing me to share his time. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine, Deputy O'Sullivan, to the House. I agree with everything Senator Roche has said. Our neighbouring constituencies have similar erosion problems, some of which Senator Roche has outlined.
There is no doubt that the east coast has been badly eroded. Immediate remedial action must be taken, otherwise the eventual cost will be greater and serious accidents may occur. There is concern in Killiney, County Dublin about overhanging rocks in the area. At a recent council meeting the borough engineer gave a vivid description of what has been happening there in recent years. The erosion is visible and it has been possible, over a period of time, to see it increase. Immediate action must be taken to rectify coastal erosion.
I am sure Senator Roche is aware that Irish Rail had to take action in relation to the DART line which runs along the coast. This is one safety aspect of the problem and there are others with regard to houses in the area.
Perhaps the Minister could give an indication that the Government is committed to a plan which will ensure that affected areas are continuously inspected and monitored so that progress is made. I agree that the legislation is outdated and it is important that we do not delay. The problems along the coast, which I and Senator Roche have outlined, are real. Certain areas are more affected than others and lives may be lost if action is not taken. I ask the Minister to respond positively.
I thank Senator Roche and Senator Cosgrave for raising the important issue.
The policy of the Department of the Marine is to facilitate the implementation of permanent protection schemes, where warranted, to prevent progressive erosion by the sea. However, primary responsibility for coastal erosion rests with coastal local authorities, some of which have undertaken protection works themselves. Owners of private property have a role in protecting their own interests.
There are limited funds available to the Department of the Marine to deal with the large problem of coastal erosion. An amount of £200,000 was allocated in 1993. These funds are earmarked for advancing existing schemes, such as the major protection scheme at Rosslare Strand, County Wexford, and the maintenance of former Office of Public Works schemes.
In order to formulate a national programme of coastal protection works for the next few years, the Department of the Marine wrote to all coastal local authorities in 1991, including Wicklow County Council, inviting them to submit a list of priorities for coastal protection which they feel would be warranted and feasible and for which they are prepared to make funds available.
Wicklow County Council in its submission to the Department of the Marine proposed protection works at eight locations at a total cost of £11.5 million. The council proposed the provision of rock armour at Bray to protect the promenade, harbour and existing defences at a preliminary cost estimate of £2.5 million; the provision of rock armour and undertaking of drainage works to protect the coast at and to the north of Greystones at a preliminary cost estimate of £2 million; the strengthening of existing coastal protection by rock armour from Cobbler Bulk to Six Mile Point near Kilcoole at an estimated cost of £1.5 million; the installation of rock armour and groynes at and to the north of Wicklow town at an estimated cost of £1.5 million; the provision of rock groynes and extension of present coastal protection to protect Arklow north beach at a preliminary cost estimate of £2 million; the stabilisation of the embankment with rock armour at the south of Arklow rock headland at Clegga beach at an estimated cost of £500,000; the provision of groynes and raising present sea defences at Arklow south beach at a cost of £1 million; the provision of groynes and planting to protect the sand dunes at Brittas Bay from erosion at a preliminary cost estimate of £500,000.
The council estimates that the expenditure of £11.5 million on these protection works will protect endangered property such as houses, hotels, roadways, farmlands, etc, with a value of approximately £40 million.
On the basis of the submissions received, including Wicklow County Council's submission, the Department of the Marine is actively seeking funding for a comprehensive National Coastal Protection Programme under the next round of Structural Funds allocations. These allocations will be determined in the National Development Plan, due over the coming months.
While no decisions have yet been made on Structural Funds allocation, I hope that the Government will accord high priority to this programme and that the necessary funding will be made available to enable schemes, such as those outlined above, to be implemented.
With specific reference to County Wicklow, the project locations being proposed by Wicklow County Council are being considered for inclusion in the programme. However, pending finalisation of the programme and clarification of the funding available, I am not in a position, at this stage, to say if or when these projects can be implemented. I might also add that in recent years coastal protection works have been undertaken in County Wicklow, specifically at the Murrough and Arklow, and a physical model study report was commissioned in respect of Bray. This is now being assessed in the Department.
The Department of the Marine recognises that the entire coastal zone represents an asset which must be protected and managed. Close co-operation between the Department of the Marine and coastal local authorities in the planning and execution of all coastal protection works is essential. Close co-operation is important with regard to the planning and management of all aspects of the coastal zone.
The Department of the Marine is currently reviewing its approaches to coastal protection. In this regard, I believe the way to proceed in the future is to look beyond individual projects and embrace the concepts of coastal zone management, which is being developed and implemented in other countries, giving a more comprehensive overview of the development and protection of the coastal zone.
I think the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I welcome the last paragraph which says that coastal zone management is the way forward. It is not sufficient to suggest that local authorities make an input into this because in reality it is a national problem.
The Seanad adjourned at 4.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 June 1993.