Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is, and I am very conscious of it. The length of time it takes to bring a project from inception, as I call it, to construction stage, to the point at which the machines come on the site, is one of the issues I considered when I came into the Department. The average time has been seven years. We are working on a protocol whereby we would reduce that by at least three and a half years. Legislation will go through the Dáil seeking to expedite that process with regard to environmental impact statements and the lifting of some thresholds. That is now on the agenda and will be brought in as part of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016. We are doing everything I can see we need to do. I came into the Department and looked with a fresh pair of eyes at this and said the delay was not right, considering the experiences we have. I have a good understanding of insurance and how it works. We need to get things done more quickly. I think it is very worrying for people. At present, all I can offer is to try to reduce the period it takes to complete projects and get properties back into an insurable state. There are cases as well, though - Senator Conway-Walsh may have some evidence of it - where people are being refused insurance on the basis of the CFRAM maps, which should not be used for commercial purposes. I need as much documentary evidence, rather than just hearsay evidence, of this as possible, so if the Senator has any information or documentary evidence in that regard, I would welcome it from any Member of the Oireachtas or anywhere else.

Major flood relief schemes under CFRAM are designed for 100-year protection. Minor works schemes provide for perhaps 20, 30, 40 or 50 years' protection. They do not provide for a full 100 years' protection.