Sinn Fein representatives express concerns about stability of The Bray Coastal Protection Scheme

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady and the party representative for the
Bray seafront area Melanie McAuley have called on The Minister for
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD to immediately have
a survey carried out on the Bray coastal protection scheme. The Bray
project was of the most controversial coastal protection schemes to
have been carried out in Wicklow in recent years. The controversial
project is at risk of literally getting washed away and becoming
ineffective.

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady said "The Bray project was of the most
controversial coastal protection schemes to have been carried out in
Wicklow in recent years, Work on the coastal protection scheme began
in 1998, and was completed in 2001 at a cost of £2.5 million. Numerous
residents from the seafront area have been in contact with both myself
and my party colleague Melanie McAuley about the Bray coastal
protection scheme, they have been voicing their concerns on how
unstable it has become over the last eleven years.  It is estimated
that hundreds of tonnes of stone has been washed away leaving the Bray
seafront area vulnerable and the overall protection scheme at risk of
getting totally undermined. The erosion has also made the foreshore on
Bray beach unsafe for walkers and for bathers"

Melanie McAuley the Sinn Féin representative for the seafront area
said "The controversial project which divided the town is now at
serious risk of being totally undermined. The scheme which was
implemented on Bray seafront was chosen because it was deemed to be
the most economical and effective way of protecting the esplanade. The
project seen a rock breakwater southwards from the harbour wall, a
rock groyne eastward from a point on the esplanade near the aquarium
and to build a shingle beach in their lee. Over 250,000 cubic meters
of shingle from the Codling Bank was then deposited on the foreshore.
Hundreds of tonnes of shingle has now been eroded and in some places
the coastal protection has been reduced by over 100meters"

Cllr Brady went onto say "The project was supposed to have been
monitored and replenished over the last 11 years but this simply has
not happened. This has left the projects viability in question leaving
the seafront at risk of flooding and also putting the promenade at
risk. The erosion has also left the foreshore unstable and a public
safety issue. I am calling on the council and the Minister for
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney to immediately carry
out a survey on the overall project."