Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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We will now discuss the difficulties in obtaining home insurance for properties in areas that have experienced extreme weather events with representatives from the Office of Public Works. I welcome Mr. Tony Smyth, director of engineering services, and Mr. Liam Basquille, principal officer in engineering services in the OPW, and thank them for attending.

I draw attention to the fact that, by virtue of section 17(2)(l ) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the joint committee. However, if you are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to do so, you are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of your evidence. You are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and you are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, you should not criticise or make charges against a person, persons or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. I advise you that the opening statement and any other documents you have submitted to the committee will be published on the committee's website after this meeting. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

The committee has considered the issue of flooding for several weeks and as this is our final public session with witnesses on the topic, it is appropriate that we should finish with the Office of Public Works. I am very interested in hearing the witnesses' views on the problem of flooding in Ireland and how best it can be tackled. I hope they will address the issues that have been raised by previous witnesses and, primarily, by the Irish Insurance Federation. The federation's submission stated:

It is also important that the OPW communicates reliable information on flood defences to insurers...[I]nsurers need to have confidence in OPW’s review of standards and commitment to maintenance of flood defences once completed as well as...access to comprehensive information on all areas vulnerable to flooding showing the status of remedial works...details of the design standards to which flood defences have been constructed, expressed as the return period of an event which the defence is designed to withstand. The minimum standard required is a return period of 1 in 100 years...maps in GIS [Geographic Information System] format for all vulnerable areas showing likely flood extent...maps showing the protections offered by any remedial works; and...regular updates of all information.

I ask the officials from the OPW to deal with these issues in their presentation. We need to consider the issues in their full complexity and take cognisance of all aspects. I invite Mr. Smyth to make his opening remarks.