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Repairing the storm-damaged entrance to Elbow Beach is “high on the list” of jobs to be addressed by the Government, the public works minister said yesterday.

Barricades and caution markings were put across the staircase to the beach today by the Department of Works and Engineering, and use of the stairs is prohibited.

The stairs and walls to the beach on South Shore in Paget remain out of commission from heavy swells from Hurricane Teddy in September.

The damaged stairs, which have some makeshift wooden rungs where the base is still missing, were highlighted this week on social media by a member of the public concerned about the safety risk.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch said the repairs for the popular beach would be “high on the list to be addressed well before the summer”.

He confirmed it was on a list of infrastructure projects drawn up as part of an economic stimulus package to provide jobs.

Colonel Burch added: “There are a number of infrastructure projects in the country that require attention.”

A ministry spokesman said that use of the staircase posed a public safety risk.

He added that previously signs and barriers to prevent access had been “unlawfully removed”, but were now back in place.

The stairs are to stay closed until construction is completed in “the coming months”.

He said the ministry was seeking “a permanent solution rather than a temporary fix”, with a “foreshore protection system adjacent to the stairs to mitigate future erosion”.

He added: “The ministry remains committed to ensuring the new infrastructure is fit for purpose and stimulates the construction industry.”

The spokesman apologised for the inconvenience.