Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
197. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe an bhfuil sé i gceist ag Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí airgead a chur ar fáil láithreach chun an creimeadh cósta i gCill Mhuirbhigh, Árainn, a leigheas, á chur i gcuntas go bhfuil cosc ar thrácht ar an mbóthar ansin dá bharr agus an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an mbóthar sin do dhaoine áitiúla agus do chuairteoirí; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [13863/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI gCinneadh Rialtais dar dáta 11 Feabhra 2014, leithdháileadh maoiniú suas chuig €19.6m in iomlán um dheisiú ar chosaint phoiblí an chósta agus ar infreastruchtúr cosanta i gcoinne tuilte, a bhí ar fáil cheana agus a ndearnadh díobháil dóibh le linn na droch-aimsire i ndeireadh 2013 agus i dtús 2014; bhí sé seo bunaithe ar aighneachtaí a rinne an Roinn Comhshaoil, Pobal agus Rialtais Áitiúil (R/CP&RA). As an iomlán seo €19.6m, leithdháileadh suim iomlán €1,144,800 ar Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe (CCG) le haghaidh oibreacha deisithe cosanta cósta faoin gCinneadh Rialtais. Chuir na húdaráis áitiúla, CCG san áireamh, cláir um oibreacha deisithe cosanta cósta faoi bhráid Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí (OPW), inar leagadh amach conas a bhí sé ar intinn acu a gcuid leithdháiltí a chaitheamh. San aighneacht a chuir CCG faoi bhráid OPW, i gcás oibreacha cosanta cósta ag Bóthar Íochtarach na Mainistreach agus Cill Mhuirbhigh, Inis Mór bhí suim €120,000 um oibreacha deisithe agus suim €720,000 um oibreacha neartaithe. Chuir OPW in iúl don Chomhairle, de réir téarmaí an Chinnidh Rialtais, nár faomhadh um mhaoiniú ach an chuid sin de na tionscadail sa chlár oibre acu a bhain le deisiú.
Críochnaíodh na hoibreacha chun an díobháil ar na struchtúir chosanta cósta ag Cill Mhuirbhigh agus An Mhainistir a dheisiú sa bhliain 2014; tharraing an Chomhairle anuas €111,392 ó OPW as an tsuim €120,000 a faomhadh le haghaidh na hoibre seo. Go dtí seo tá €907,099 as an leithdháileadh iomlán €1,144,800 le haghaidh deisithe ar dhíobháil stoirme tarraingthe anuas ag an gComhairle. Tá fuílleach an leithdháilte ar fáil le tarraing anuas i mbliana. Chuir OPW in iúl don Chomhairle go gceadófaí solúbthacht áirithe maidir le costas tionscadail ar leith a choigeartú agus cuid comhréireach um oibreacha neartaithe a áireamh iontu, ar an gcoinníoll nach rachadh an costas iomlán sa bhreis ar an leithdháileadh iomlán €1,144,800.
Ba chóir a thabhairt faoi deara freisin gur chuir CCG suim ar leith €100,000 san áireamh sa chéad aighneacht acu chuig an R/CP&RA i ndiaidh na stoirmeacha maidir le costas deisithe bóthair ag Bóthar Íochtarach na Mainistreach agus Cill Mhuirbhigh. Is ceist idir CCG agus an Roinn Iompair, Turasóireachta agus Spóirt soláthar agus tarraingt anuas an mhaoinithe seo.
Oibríonn Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí Scéim Oibreacha agus Cosanta Cósta um Mhaolú ar Mhiontuilte. Foilsítear critéir cháilitheachta na Scéime, ar a n-áirítear riachtanas go gcaithfidh céimeanna a bheith costas tairbheach, ar shuíomh gréasáin OPW. Níl an scéim seo ar fáil chun díobháil infreastruchtúir a dheisiú nó chun sócmhainní cosanta tuile nó cosanta cósta atá ann cheana féin a chothabháil. Féadfaidh Údarás Áitiúil iarratas a dhéanamh chuig OPW ar thacaíocht faoin scéim ach aird a bheith ar na critéir cháilitheachta sin. Tá foirmeacha iarratais ar fail ar shuíomh gréasáin OPW faoi ‘Bainistiú Priacal Tuile’ agus déantar cinntí le haird ar an maoiniú iomlán atá ar fáil um bhainistiú priacal tuile.
The Government Decision of 11th February, 2014 allocated total funding of up to €19.6m for the repair of existing public coastal protection and flood defence infrastructure damaged in the severe weather in late 2013 and early 2014 based on submissions made by the relevant local authorities to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (D/EC&LG). Of this total of €19.6m, a total sum of €1,144,800 was allocated to Galway County Council (GCC) for coastal protection repair works under the Government Decision. The local authorities, including GCC, submitted to the Office of Public Works (OPW) programmes of coastal protection repair works setting out how they intended to spend their allocations. The amount included in GCC's submission to the OPW in respect of coastal protection works at Lower Road Mainistir and Kilmurvey, Inis Mór was €120,000 for repair works and €720,000 for strengthening works. The OPW informed the Council that, in accordance with the terms of the Government Decision, the repair element only of the listed projects in its programme of works was approved for funding.
The works to repair damaged coastal protection structures at Kilmurvey and Mainistir were completed in 2014 and the Council drew down €111,392 from the OPW out of the amount of €120,000 approved for this work. To date the Council has drawn down €907,099 of the total allocation of €1,144,800 for storm damage repairs. The balance of the allocation is available for draw down this year. The OPW has informed the Council that some flexibility would be allowed as regards adjustment of the cost of individual projects and inclusion of a proportionate element of strengthening works, subject to the overall cost not exceeding the total allocation of €1,144,800.
It should be noted also that GCC included a separate amount of €100,000 in its initial submission to the D/EC&LG following the storms in respect of the cost of road repairs at Lower Road Mainistir and Kilmurvey. The provision and drawdown of this funding is a matter between GCC and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
The OPW operates a 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. It is not available for repair of damaged infrastructure or for maintenance of existing flood defence or coastal protection assets. A Local Authority may apply to the OPW for support under the scheme having regard to those eligibility criteria. Application forms are available on OPW's website under Flood Risk Management and decisions are made having regard to the overall availability of funding for flood risk management.
