Brendan Ryan, Labour Party TD for Dublin North, has called on the Minister for Agriculture and Marine, Simon Coveney, and the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Brian Hayes, to act immediately to stop "homes and businesses in the Burrow, Portrane being swept into the sea".

In a Topical Issue debate, Deputy Ryan expressed to Minister of State Jan O'Sullivan, who was taking the debate in place of Minister for Environment Phil Hogan, the need for urgent action to stop the dramatic reclaiming of the land from the sea which is occurring at a frightening pace.

"The issue of coastal erosion in the Burrow, Portrane, in North Country Dublin, is not something new. The sea has threatened and eroded the area for decades. But it is the increased pace and severity of this erosion in recent times, which makes this a critical and most topical of issues at this time. Two weeks, ago 6-7 metres of sand dunes were washed away in one night including washing away a boardwalk constructed in part as an anti-erosion measure. This one night of high tides and winds destroyed this boardwalk, highlighting the need for long-term, heavy coastal erosion defences. With homes and businesses within 20 metres of these dunes, it is easy to see why the residents of the Burrow are so concerned. They are under real threat.

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"The residents of the Burrow Portrane feel they are living on borrowed time and are in constant fear of every high tide and high wind forecast. If 6-7 metres of Dunes can get washed away in one evening, it is obvious that this threat is real and needs urgent attention.

"I impressed upon Minister Jan O'Sullivan the need to take the message to the Minister of the Environment the very real need for all relevant agencies: Fingal County Council, The Office of Public Works, the Department of Agriculture and Marine and the Department of the Environment to work together for a long term solution."

(CD/GK)