Social Democrats councillor for the Rush Lusk ward, Paul Mulville, has called on a special Government taskforce to urgently visit local communities directly affected by coastal erosion and flooding.
Cllr Mulville said:
“The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, has assembled the National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group, which I have previously welcomed.
“However, I am very disappointed that the Minister has ruled out the hearing of direct testimony of homeowners and local residents who are suffering the effects of coastal erosion and flooding right now.
“The Minister says it would be ‘premature’ to hear from the people on the ground – I cannot disagree more. Now is the time to include local communities, not later on down the road when the terms have already been set by the taskforce.
“If the Minister is not willing to direct his high-level inter-departmental group to listen to the people, then at the very least he must agree that they should visit the locations affected – our community of Portrane, for example, is barely a 30-minute drive from Government Buildings.
“Too often, those in authority make decisions and then consult afterwards. The Minister says that the issues are ‘significant and complex’. However, my response is that no-one knows this more than the affected local communities who live the reality of the situation morning, noon and night.”
October 19, 2020