The Government says it has set out a long-term strategy for dealing with coastal change with establishment of an interdepartmental steering group.

A report of the interdepartmental group on national coastal management strategy has been published by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien and the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Patrick O’Donovan.

It sets out the group’s initial findings and recommendations to enable the State to assess risks and develop appropriate responses, and has 15 recommendations.

Increases in sea levels and storm surge arising from climate change will result in increased coastal erosion and displacement of the intertidal zone over the coming years and decades, the Department of Housing says.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien

The impacts of coastal change will affect many sectors of our economy, including households, transport, agriculture, our environment, tourism and our cultural assets, it says.

Welcoming the report, O'Brien said “this is an important report for the future management of our 5,800km of coastline”.

“As an island nation, the challenge facing us is long term and the full impact of coastal change due to climate change will occur over time,” he said.

“ That’s why it’s vital we put in place an evidence-based framework now, to underpin and guide the State’s response. In my own area of North County Dublin, we have already witnessed some devastating impacts of coastal change, and this report and its recommendations provide a roadmap for responding to the challenges in a structured, planned and evidence-based way,” he said.

“Its implementation will require an integrated whole of Government approach with actions across many sectors. We now know what we need to do, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will play a key role in coordinating and driving this essential work,” he added.

“While Ireland is well advanced in its work to tackle coastal flood risk now and into the future, it is clear that a long term, multi-sectoral, approach is needed to appropriately manage and address the further risks associated with coastal change,” his colleague, Minister of State O’Donovan, said.

“I am pleased that the OPW will take the lead on the technical aspects of assessing coastal change impacts, including co-ordinating the monitoring of physical coastal change, assessing and mapping areas at risk from coastal erosion, the development of a coastal change research programme and assessing potential coastal protection works for communities at risk, including the use of nature-based solutions,” he said.

“This will inform the identification of risks across impacted sectoral interests, and will provide a solid basis for the development of appropriate sectoral responses,” he said.

The Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on National Coastal Change Management Strategy is available here.