Mr. Kevin Thompson:

We are precluded from using CFRAM maps. We do not use them for underwriting.

With regard to giving support to a Minister to increase funding, over the years we have always looked for increased funding in terms of flood defences, and we have been quite vocal about this. To be fair to the OPW, it has looked to spend its allocation on flood defences. When we bring it back to what we can do, we have entered into the process with the OPW in good faith. Prior to the memorandum of understanding, we had no visibility on the engineering standards of flood defences. This made it very hard for us to provide coverage. We are in a different space now, and we are getting this information. Three more defences are coming on line, on which the OPW will exchange information with us and we will look to provide coverage. I totally agree with the Senator that the danger is that it goes into an abstract area. People are affected by this and it is traumatic. Our goal is, and I can only state it so many times, to increase coverage.