Independent TD Thomas Pringle has called for a way past an impasse between the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Donegal County Council over coastal erosion works in Inver.
Addressing Minister Kieran O’Donnell in the Dáil last Thursday, Deputy Pringle said local residents need the works carried out and their houses protected.
The deputy raised the matter during Topical Issues on coastal erosion between Inver village and Fanaghans.
“There has been substantial coastal erosion works carried out in the general area in the past by the Department and Donegal County Council,” he said.
“There’s 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. Currently the ground is being undermined into the gardens of the houses and, in time the houses themselves will come under pressure.”
Deputy Pringle claimed some of the current problems come from work that was carried out in the past. This, he said, has had the effect of moving the action of the waves farther down to where it is now impacting the properties.
“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.
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 in relation to it,” he added.
“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.
During their exchange, Minister O’Donnell said commencement and progression of works for which funding has been approved under the scheme is a matter for local authorities. He said he will 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.
