Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are now back in public session. Tá an cruinniú ar siúl arís agus táimíd i seisiún poiblí. We will proceed to discuss the difficulties in obtaining home insurance for properties in areas that have experienced extreme weather events with representatives form the Irish National Flood Forum. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Inniu, cuirim fáilte roimhMr. Enda O'Donovan, director and honorary secretary of the Irish National Flood Forum; Mr. Brendan Dempsey, Cork Society of St. Vincent de Paul; Ms Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich, Dodder Flood Group; Ms Gillian Powell, Bandon Flood Group; Mr. Michael Thornhill, Skibbereen Flood Group; and Mr. Mick Tully, Ballinasloe Flood Group on behalf of the Irish National Flood Forum. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as teacht i láthair inniu.

I wish to draw your attention to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence you are to give this committee. If you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and you continue to so do, you are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against any persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. The opening statement and other documents you have submitted to the committee will be published on the committee website this afternoon. Members are reminded of a long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses, or any official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

The Irish National Flood Forum is a voluntary organisation representing the interests of local communities. These communities have suffered extensively from flooding and many thousands of people now find themselves in a situation in which they cannot insure their own homes. This is not acceptable, especially given the criteria that are now being used by insurance companies to assess the risk of flooding. If an area has flooded once, it now appears the whole area is condemned in perpetuity. No account seems to be taken of the location of individual houses or of the remedial works that have been successfully competed in that area. It now appears to be administratively easier for the insurance companies to blanket label an entire area or a jurisdiction as distinct from engaging meaningfully with people who have made significant efforts to correct what has gone wrong and not really assessing quotes individually, based on merit. That is a real issue for members of the committee and obviously a live issue for people who are affected.

I am delighted we have representatives from the Irish National Flood Forum and I hope we can tease out these issues and establish exactly the difficulties facing people who are at the coalface of this tragedy. This is one of a number of meetings we have had and we will have representatives from the Irish Insurance Federation before the committee in the coming weeks. We will reflect on the testimony of the witnesses who have come before us so that when we conclude our work, particularly the element of the committee that will engage with the Irish Insurance Federation, we can rely on the testimony of the various groups. This will inform how we interact with the Irish Insurance Federation.

I thank everybody, particularly those from my own bailiwick and people who have made long journeys to appear before the committee. This is really appreciated and their testimony will form part of our deliberation. I now call on Mr. O'Donovan to give his address.