Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Deputy, except with the assertion that no progress has been made. I cannot speak for my predecessor. He put in place this arrangement, which has been very good, to establish the sharing of information. We are now at crunch time. We have the first progress report. We need to see whether all that engagement and time-consuming effort by the Department’s officials in meeting with the insurance industry yielded results for the citizens. We told the insurance industry we had reduced the flooding risk in an area and asked it what it had done. We will have the initial overview of that shortly.

The Deputy is correct to ask where do we go if there is no co-operation. I do not want to jump that hurdle or to presume. I want to engage in this in good faith. Co-operation is the easiest way from every perspective, including that of our constituents but I genuinely appeal to this committee to work with me on where we go if that does not happen. Before I worry the chairman of the OPW and others, the OPW does not have a mandate in respect of flood insurance or insurance policy or regulation. However, across Government, be it in the Department of Finance, or through a Government decision, there are policy options. When I started exploring options, out of curiosity and frustration for my own constituents, I found that the policy options I thought might work did not. It was difficult to find a perfect model. I would be very happy to engage with the committee on this issue. Insurance Ireland, OPW officials and officials of the Department of Finance will have a round table discussion on this issue because it is a question of wanting to work and to co-operate with people but we also have to ask what happens if the State spends nearly €1 billion putting in place schemes. In fairness to the industry, it is important to say there will be several new schemes coming on stream – pardon the pun - for flood mitigation. We continue to roll them out. We will continue to provide that and to engage. I am not in the business of an engagement that does not yield results or of deploying public time and resources should it not. I hope it does. I am entering into it in good faith but I would really appreciate the input of everybody on the committee.