Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for missing the opening remarks by the OPW. I was present for the submissions by the Cork Business Association and others. We face a dilemma, as public representatives, with regard to those who have been adversely affected by flood events over the years and cannot now get insurance cover.

The impression has been created that there is a partnership between the Office of Public Works and the insurance industry, the objective of which is to remedy the situation with regard to flooding incidence and, consequently, to enable Insurance Ireland and its constituent members to offer insurance cover.

I acknowledge the Clonmel, Fermoy, Mallow and the other major schemes the OPW has undertaken and the funding it has continued to make available, notwithstanding the difficult financial constraints for both major and minor schemes. The minor schemes are important for small local communities and can have a significant dividend relative to the amount of money spent. The reality is that, notwithstanding exchange of data and everything else under the memorandum of understanding on the standard of protection, the works are generally acknowledged to be of the highest order. However, businesses and households still cannot get insurance cover. I may be asking the representatives of Insurance Ireland to trespass outside their comfort zone in some respects but surely the objective of having a partnership approach and data exchange between the OPW and the insurance industry is that collectively we would contribute to solving the problem for people, including businesses and homeowners. There is a lack of good faith on the part of the insurance industry if, on foot of the works carried out, the data that have been exchanged and the standard of protection now available following the expenditure of significant amounts of State funds, it is still not living up to its side of the equation.Obviously in Cork city, the works have not been delivered yet. However, in the case of other areas, if there has not been a restoration of access to insurance cover based on the works carried out and the relevant standard of protection, then surely it undermines the partnership approach, the memorandum of understanding and its raison d'être, which was, initially, to solve a problem for people, whether business people or people in residential homes.