Spending on infrastructure should be prioritised to help protect against climate change, top engineers have told the Irish Government.

Meeting at Climate Change Workshop seminar, the Irish Academy of Engineering has sought to identify how existing energy, transport and water infrastructure needs to be adapted.

Climate change experts met with Environment Minister John Gormley, as well as infrastructure owners and designers at the Dublin Castle event.

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The engineers will now pass on their findings to state officials and counterparts in Northern Ireland.

It will contain specific suggestions on how Ireland's limited research capability and resources available can be utilised most effectively to mitigate against climate change.

"Failure to plan and act now could have catastrophic consequences. Protection measures could include measures such as tidal barriers which taken a long time to plan and build," said Michael Hayden, President of the Irish Academy of Engineering.

"The Irish Academy of Engineering wants to develop appropriate communication channels between Government, researchers and engineers to ensure the limited research capability and resources available are utilised efficiently and effectively."

(PR/BMcC)