Ballyhealy Locals Hopeful Of Seeing Coastal Erosion Works Soon

The OPW Minister has given his word that his office will back coastal erosion works at Ballyhealy.

That's according to local farmer John Fortune who met with Minister Kevin "Boxer Moran" at the weekend.

It's part of a 560 thousand euro funding announcement to strengthen the rock armour close to Kelly's Hotel in Rosslare and at Kilpatrick beach in North Wexford.

John says he's glad to see some work being done in those areas but his land can't hold out much longer as it is:

"We've had the Minister down and that's a big plus because he's more or less given an undertaking that if everything is alright with the council's reports then we'll get support.

"It's been acknowledged that we're in some of the softest grounds regarding the space and the seas around Wexford. 

"It's graded from 1 to 5 and we're a number 5 and we're on the soft side of that even as well."

200 metres of coastal infrastructure will be installed to the Rosslare Strand area as a result of the funding they received over the weekend with hopes the works will be finished by the spring.

Mr Fortune says people in a similar position to him can't wait much longer than that:

"We've a stretch maybe 150/200 metres of very weak areas that if we could get some bit of something done on them before the winter storms come in, the rest will survive.

"But if that breaches, we're in major trouble."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.