Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance. This discussion seems to be going around in circles. The use of computer technology has enabled much new information to be provided on existing flood plains and proposed flood plain management. Many of the county councils are doing magnificent work. I was a member of South Dublin County Council. The SEAFRAME study is available for consultation, as are the studies being conducted with reference to SEAFRAME. Computer imaging studies have been carried out on rivers. I will only speak with reference to the south Dublin area because it is the area I know best. South Dublin County Council did a computer study of the River Dodder under the auspices of the OPW and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes. However, the insurance companies are still working as if they were back in the Dark Ages. I acknowledge that the computer studies from around the country have not been collated.

Aerial surveys have been conducted. I refer to the LiDAR study of rivers carried out in south Dublin, which was commissioned by the OPW under the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes. Elevation levels were investigated in the LiDAR aerial survey and a digital terrain model is available in South Dublin County Council. This is not rocket science. It is hoped all this information will be collated. RPS Consultants are working with the OPW and with county councils to collate information. Is it the case that the Irish Insurance Federation has not been consulted about this new information or is not aware of it?

The best way to make a point is to speak about something with which one is familiar. I live near the Dodder but I will not use that river as an example. When I was on the council in 2000 a huge body of work was carried out by South Dublin County Council, including a flood alleviation plan for estates in Lucan which had suffered flooding. That area is now free of flood risk. The senior engineer in South Dublin County Council provided the residents of those estates in Lucan with letters stating that this work had been carried out. This was because they were being refused insurance. There has been no flooding since the work was carried out; nor is there any prospect of flooding. The witness has stated that he has no knowledge of a cartel. Why can the people in those estates not get insurance? The letter received by residents was for the attention of insurance companies. The engineer was prepared to put his name on the line in signing that letter. I ask why the residents are unable to get insurance.

I refer to the regulations and code of practice for the insurance industry. How is the code policed? What knowledge, if any, is garnered from this policing? Other speakers referred to geocoding, so I will not speak about it. The county councils have very little money but they do the work when they have the money. This should be acknowledged by the insurance companies. It seems the situation is worse now even though more information is available to insurance companies than was the case four or five years ago.

On the question of claims and who is or is not making money, I refer to the figures provided by the delegates. I got the impression from figures provided by others that the insurance companies were cleaning up. I ask the committee to undertake research on the figures coming from both sides to determine the actual figures.

What percentage of insurance companies are members of the federation? I spent 20 years as a councillor. The GIS mapping system and computer technology supply information on roads and rivers. One does not have to be Mohammed to guess where flooding is likely to occur, because the information is available. The insurance companies should know this also. I acknowledge that it was wrong to allow building on flood plains and I hope this will never happen again. In my view, the cost of insurance should be coming down instead of going up; it should be more freely available.