'One big storm could wash it all away’ - Inver homes at risk from erosion

Two families in Inver who fear for the future of their homes are baffled as to why Donegal County Council has not carried out repairs despite funding being allocated by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2020.

The Shallow and Ward families are deeply frustrated as they watch the erosion worsening with each storm, knowing that funding of €18,000 is available to repair existing rock armour in front of their homes.

Joe Shallow says: “We are being told that Donegal County Council can’t carry out the repairs because it is private property. They say it is not their responsibility.

“But as far as we are concerned, it is their responsibility. The original rock armour was built over 40 years ago by Donegal County Council, so surely they have an obligation to maintain it.

“And they built rock armour just up the shore from us using OPW funding. Some of that rock armour juts out and redirects the water to the front of our house, making it worse here.”Furthermore, Joe points out, a path which was created on top of the original rock armour when it was being constructed was linked at the time to a road and slipway. The path is widely used by villagers to access the beach.

His neighbour Eunan Ward says: “I don’t know how they can say it is not the council’s responsibility. They built the original gabion cages which are now damaged and that is the cause of the erosion. They did a repair job on one portion of it. Why won’t they repair this section?”

Both men point out that the kingstones which support the rock armour are coming loose. They were once a few feet under the sand and stones of the shoreline but are now fully exposed with water washing underneath. 

Standing in his garden, Joe looks around and, deeply frustrated, says: “One big storm could wash it all away. We actually don’t know how far back the erosion goes but we can see that it is getting worse. We saw that with Storm Ashley, the hole in the rock armour got a lot bigger over that weekend. 

“It is very worrying. I am on to Donegal County Council every week and getting nowhere. We know the money is there, the Roads officer knows it needs to be done, the Piers and Beaches officers know it needs to be done. The problem is that no-one wants to do it.”

Newly elected councillors Manus Boyle (FG) and Jimmy Brogan (Ind) have added their voices to those of Eunan and Joe.

Cllr Boyle obtained ministerial confirmation that the OPW funding is indeed available, and has been since 2020.

He raised the matter at the October meeting of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal, saying: “Someone is wanting to give you money and you can’t draw it down. There are two houses there and next year could be too late. We need to be able to draw that money down and secure them two houses in the short term.”

Area Roads Officer Mark Sweeney replied that the offer of funding from the OPW came with a condition.

“If you go in and do the work you are responsible for it forever more, so we will only apply for funding for coastal erosion if it affects a public road,” he said.

“The OPW is offering funding but it is putting a huge onus on the local authority on things outside their remit. That is not to say another department in the council can’t take it on, but it is not under Roads.”

Mr Sweeney the issue was affecting all local authorities.

“This is something that needs to change nationally,” he said. “The council go in and apply for funding and do the job and then you are responsible for ever so you are spending public money to protect private property and that is not right.”

Cllr Brogan works closely with Deputy Thomas Pringle TD, who raised the matter in the Dáil recently.

Addressing Minister Kieran O’Donnell, Deputy Pringle said: “They need the coastal erosion works carried out and their houses protected.”

He pointed out that the council had carried out such works in the past, adding: “I think it is also important to point out that some problems come from work that was carried out in past years, which has had the effect of moving the action of the waves farther down to where it is now impacting the properties. 

“Because the coast has been protected farther out, the impact of the waves has been concentrated now into this area and that is causing additional damage as well.”

Both homeowners are continuing to lobby for the allocated funding to be used before the damage gets any worse.

Meanwhile, with the climate crisis leading to a well documented increase in the frequency and intensity of winter storms, Joe, Eunan and their families are facing a very anxious few months unless an agreement between Donegal Council and the OPW can be reached and the work carried out.