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

I thank our guests, Mr. Owens and Dr. Surminski, for their submissions. I have some questions for Mr. Owens. Coming from Cork, I am familiar with the devastation that occurred in the city centre, and while I do not represent that area, I have some experience of flooding in residential areas and also flooding of businesses. In respect of the experience in Fermoy, Clonmel and Waterford, to which Mr. Owens alluded, the quality of the works and the consequent re-flooding, have businesses in those areas been able to get insurance on foot of the success of the design and the works that have been completed? He spoke about the memorandum of understanding. That is fairly weak in terms of the amount of money that will go into the Cork flood defence scheme.

Second, we hear the continuous debate about climate change, rising sea levels etc. That brings into sharp focus whether the predictions made at a particular time about flood risk through models and so on are a moveable feast.

A one in 100 year flood might be a much more recurring likelihood now than it was 50 years ago. In that sense, under the climate change agenda, one of the measures we are taking is retrofitting houses with insulation to improve their energy efficiency. In response to rising sea levels and the increased likelihood of flood risk, is there a case for areas that are subject to recurrent flooding to have a programme of retrofitting premises with the optimum level of flood defence mechanisms available? Mr. Owens made reference to new builds, but is there a level of retrofitting on individual premises that can mitigate problems, and what kind of costs would this involve? On that basis, could the State enter into partnership with the insurance sector to work along those lines?