I want to speak to the Taoiseach about coastal erosion, which is an extremely pressing and urgent issue for coastal communities right across Ireland. It is estimated in recent reports that up to 20% of the coastline of Ireland is at risk. This is a particular problem in the south east due to the composition of the lands, which are sand and clay-based. Some areas in the south east are losing up to 8 m to 10 m from their coast each year. It is estimated that, in Wexford alone, over 1,400 houses are at risk, and in Ireland, it is estimated that almost 100,000 people's homes are in danger from coastal erosion. The severity of recent storms, the increased frequency of these storms and the rising sea level due to climate change are the main factors involved. I have been inundated with calls and visits to my office from constituents along the entire coastal length of my constituency. This was ongoing well before Storm Chandra, but it has multiplied since that storm. People are in genuine fear of losing their homes and land. In County Wicklow, Arklow has regularly seen significant damage due to intense storms. Areas such as Clogh and as far up as Brittas Bay are facing significant loss and damage to their coastal defences. This is having a huge impact, not only on the land and housing, but also on beloved community amenities. We must also look at Irish Rail. There is a stretch from Dublin to Wicklow town that is under severe threat due to coastal erosion. This line faces significant and ongoing risks that threaten the stability of the infrastructure. I am aware that the East Coast Railway Infrastructure Protection Projects are conducting a comprehensive study, but continuous disruption or any long-term closure due to erosion on this line will close the clinical link between Rosslare and Dublin, isolating communities and towns, such as Gorey, Arklow and Rathdrum and putting even further pressure on an already overcapacity motorway. I note and commend the investment in coastal erosion, but I am here today to point out that this problem is increasing due to climate change, increasing sea levels and the frequency of storms. This is simply not going away. Houses that have been in families for generations are now on the verge of dropping into the sea, farmers are losing land and we are losing walkways along our coastline. I call for a comprehensive approach to tackling this and for significant further investment in this area. I have met people face-to-face in my office. I have seen grown men and grown women cry. They are literally playing out a horror movie. In front of them, the sea is eating into their land and their gardens. They literally have to take out their goods before a storm, go to another house and then come back the following morning to see if their house is still there. This should not be happening. It is going to increase. I ask the Taoiseach to treat this as a priority.

Sentiment score: -0.17

I warmly welcome the Taoiseach’s suggestion of centralising this because it highlights the problem we are having. I do not want to be parochial, but if we just look at the Wexford coastline, 80% of the 260 km is under threat. That is a phenomenal figure. We are dealing with real people. In areas like Cahore and Glasscarrig, people are in genuine fear of losing their homes. I recently went down to Kilmichael and Castletown, which is a beautiful area. Some people there have lost 10 m off the front of their land. The next stop is that their houses are going to fall into the sea. Courtown was the beacon of the south east in the 1980s, but it now has little or no beach. It is not only the coastal erosion, but the effect this is having on business there as well. We have a serious issue. I warmly welcome the Taoiseach's intervention on this. We have to make progress on centralising this. It is a huge issue.

Sentiment score: 0.05