Ms Clare McGrath:

I am subject to being corrected, but in 2012 we put in place a memorandum of understanding between the Office of Public Works and a representative group of the insurance industry. This related to schemes we have completed to standard and providing the information which insurance firms then use to determine insurance. The Office of Public Works has no role in determining who gets insured or how people are insured or in the policy. The policy at sectoral level comes from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. However, along with Insurance Ireland we put in place the memorandum because we have a common interest in having appropriate and relevant information on flood defence schemes to enable the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. The memorandum of understanding was signed in March 2014. The primary structure to implement this is through a working group, which meets to determine the areas for which flood defence schemes information will be provided as well as the format in which data will be supplied, delivery dates and the frequency of supplying the data. We have done this for 12 completed schemes, including the River Suir, Clonmel: the River Dodder - tidal, Dublin; the River Tolka, Dublin; the River Tolka, Fingal; the River Tolka, Meath; the River Nanny, Duleek; the River Bandon, Dunmanway; the River Fergus - upper, Ennis; the River Blackwater, Fermoy; the River Nore, Kilkenny city; the River Mornington, Mornington; and the River Tullamore, Tullamore. The data have been given. In January 2015, information on the next tranche of schemes was given in respect of the Munster Blackwater, Mallow south and west; Hazelhatch, Celbridge; Derrymullen, Ballinasloe; and Carlow. As we complete the schemes, we will continue to give the information. At that stage, as far as we are concerned, we have supplied the information and we expect that the insurance industry will treat with that.

One issue that has come up relates to demountable defences. In the cases of Fermoy and Mallow, we have put in place demountable defences which depend on intervention by the local authority when it has been given a warning in sufficient time to put up those defences. The insurance industry has questions on that. From the point of view of this office, we have clearly articulated that such defences provide the international level of protection. We have conversations with the insurance industry in that area.

The interdepartmental group has been reconvened and will report to Government shortly. In this area, the Department of Finance takes the lead on policy. The Department is developing a position on whether there is or should be recommendations on insurance and flood risk. That Department, as the sectoral lead, is developing policies around that.

As the deliverer of the schemes with regard to one in 100 year events, the Office of Public Works is satisfied they provide protection and sufficient information to enable insurance. However, the insurance industry states that who is insured and at what level is for its members to determine and not for us.