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For Written Answer on : 19/01/2022
Question Number(s): 587 Question Reference(s): 2102/22
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION


To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 452 of 19 October 2021, if the National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group has met to finalise a group strategy; if not, when he expects such a meeting to take place and a strategy to be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY




Further to the Question No. 452 of 19 October 2021, the Steering Group has not met but is expected to meet in the coming weeks.  Rather than convene a full meeting, to assist and support the work of the group, my Department and the OPW have engaged in a series of bilateral meetings in the interim with relevant Departments and key stakeholders. These bilateral meetings have provided an opportunity to discuss the emerging work of the Group and to stimulate the most effective engagement of these key stakeholders. The meetings to date have been very useful in allowing for issues relating to coastal change management to be identified and explored in the context of the particular operations of the participating organisations. 

The findings of the Steering Group are at an advanced stage of drafting and will be finalised for presentation to Government for consideration. The scoping report on a National Coastal Change Management Strategy is intended to provide a framework for key decisions to be taken on how Ireland could best manage its coastline in light of the future risks.