Government funding announced to carry out a study on coastal erosion in Ardmore has been called a waste of taxpayers money by a local councillor.
Tom Cronin, says that it is only delaying the process of building a wall to protect the bay from coastal erosion.
Yesterday, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Patrick O’Donovan, announced the approval of Waterford County Council’s application under the Office of Public Works’ Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.
Under the scheme, the Office of Public Works (OPW) approved funding of €61,815 for a Coastal Flooding and Erosion Risk Management Study of Ardmore Bay.
But the Fianna Fáil Tom Cronin Cllr says they had already carried out surveys and this is just further delaying the process.
"In my own opinion these surveys have already been carried out and it is just another mechanism to kick the can down the road and delay progress by another six months.
"We're pumping taxpayers money into something that had been done - I was lead to believe the inspector from the OPW approved the plans and when it went back to headquarters it was then delayed," Tom says.
Cllr Cronin is calling for a wall to be built as soon as possible to protect the village from further damage.
"There was serious damage done last winter along the beachfront, some of the banks where people used to walk slipped and now the whole edge is uneven and dangerous.
"There is no option but to build a wall there will be businesses gone in the next year - the village could be even in trouble in a few years because the higher the water comes, the more land will be taken," he says.
