Sir, – The issue of whether or not to build sea defences for Clontarf epitomises, at local scale, a debate that is long overdue nationally. It is not only Clontarf, or even just Dublin, that is at risk of coastal flooding: Cork, Waterford, Galway, Limerick and many other significant centres of population are similarly vulnerable, and the hazard is likely to be exacerbated over coming decades if sea-level rises according to predictions.
The reported costs of the Clontarf sea-defences alone are estimated at €10 million. How much more will it cost to protect all of Ireland’s coastal towns and cities from the sea, let alone those rural areas also considered important?
In times of deep economic recession, could we afford it even if we wished to? But if we cannot, on what criteria do we prioritise areas to protect over those that will be abandoned to the waves? Equally, how much will it cost (socially as well as economically) not to defend our homes and resources?
There are no ready answers to these challenging questions. Academics have been grappling with them for years, but they require inputs from political, as well as scientific, technical and socio-economic interests. A national strategy would seem timely, and the public at large must always be at the heart of this debate. Clontarf seems a good place to start the process. – Yours, etc,