Mr. Brendan Dempsey:

Deputy Daly mentioned that insurance companies have to make money, that is the reason they are there and that is fair enough. I accept that. However, there was one insurance company - I cannot remember its name - which published its figures recently. What it paid out on flooding for the year was less than 1% of the total payout. Flooding does not seem to be costing insurance companies that much. One can certainly count the figure in millions but for that one company the amount was less than 1% of its total payout for the year.

In the St. Vincent de Paul Society we have never had the problems we have had in recent years. We do not have time to be dealing with insurance and should not have to deal with such problems.

We believe this issue can only be addressed through legislation and call on the Government to introduce it.