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Inver Coastal Erosion: Urgent Call for Action to Protect Homes and Public Spaces in Donegal
- Updated: 29th October 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called for a way past an impasse between the Office of Public Works and Donegal County Council over needed coastal erosion works in Inver.
Addressing Minister Kieran O’Donnell in the Dáil last Thursday, Deputy Pringle said: “For the residents impacted this is not an issue. They need the coastal erosion works carried out and their houses protected.”
The deputy raised the matter during Topical Issues and acknowledged that Minister O’Donnell has answered questions from him before on coastal erosion between Inver village and Fanaghans, Inver.
Deputy Pringle said: “There have been substantial coastal erosion works carried out in the general area in the past by the Department and Donegal County Council,” adding, “There have been a lot more protection works done farther out, and there is a need for work to be carried out to protect about three houses now, at this stage. Currently, the ground is being undermined into the gardens of the houses and in time the houses themselves will come under pressure. Hopefully, that won’t happen.
“I think it is also important to point out that some problems come from work that was carried out in past years, which has had the effect of moving the action of the waves farther down to where it is now impacting the properties. Because the coast has been protected farther out, the impact of the waves has been concentrated now into this area and that is causing additional damage as well.
“The OPW, in fairness to them, have allocated money to the issue here in an attempt to assist, but the problem is that the OPW are saying that Donegal County Council will be responsible for any future works required there if they accept the funding. That’s the crux of the problem really,” he said.
The deputy said that under the Flood Mitigation Works programme, money was made available in 2016 and 2020 to the council to carry out works in this area and to protect the seawalls.
Deputy Pringle said: “Understandably, the Council does not want to take responsibility for this land into the future, without at least the provision of money to maintain the area. As the area is not a public property, they do not want to have ongoing maintenance issues about it.
“But I think it’s important as well to note that there is a public path over this land that is used widely by the public in the area, and that’s being undermined at the minute by the coastal erosion. So there is a public element to this work as well, too – it’s not only private property,” he said.
The deputy said: “For the residents impacted this is not an issue. They need the coastal erosion works carried out and their houses protected. The Council and the OPW can fight about the responsibility for future funding of the area and indeed perhaps if the work is carried out properly there might not be a need for any future funding.”
During his exchange with the Minister, Deputy Pringle also said the public walkway has been concreted by the council to facilitate the community and the public.
He said the Council said they carried out works on a goodwill basis in 2019 in response to appeals from local residents and they do not want to take full responsibility for this work into the future, because they don’t have the means of raising money to carry out works in the future.
Deputy Pringle said: “And I think to a certain extent that is reasonable, because they have difficulty getting money for work. And I think the OPW do have a responsibility in terms of protecting the coastline and coastal erosion as well, so it’s natural that maybe if the OPW could continue to provide the funding the council could carry out the necessary works to make sure this would be protected.”
During their exchange, Minister O’Donnell said the commencement and progression of works for which funding has been approved under the scheme is a matter for local authorities. He said he would ask OPW officials to engage with the Council to see if there has been any misunderstanding.
The Minister said the OPW is reviewing the scheme and one of the issues under consideration is the possibility of funding the maintenance of works carried out under the scheme.
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