Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I remind Mr. Downey that this is not solely a Cork and Dublin issue. I come from the heart of the country, where I believe people suffer even more because they have very little prospect of getting work done and are ignored by everyone. There is strength in numbers, but rural areas do not have huge numbers affected. Adding to the problem in the country is the fact that due to the work being done by the OPW on geocoding, areas where some people are living are being categorised as possible flood areas. Those people may never have had a flooding problem, but now because they are identified as being in a potential flood area, they are finding it extremely difficult to get insurance or any help. There is nothing they can do about this as they cannot pack their bags and leave. This is another issue.