Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I know that this is not his area. What I hear in the response is that the insurance industry is talking the talk but delivering very little. There is nothing really new in the reply from the industry. Insurance Ireland came before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment Community and Local Government where it cited the figure of "only 2%". Our evidence shows that this affects far more than 2% of householders. The industry has put a 500 metre extension on either side of every river in the country. The houses at the top of the hill in Lucan Village cannot get household insurance. In Cork, the houses at the top of Patrick's Hill - we all know how steep that is - cannot get flood insurance.

What I hear again today is the insurance industry saying it will co-operate while nothing happens on the ground yet we spend large sums of taxpayers' money to ensure that flood protection is provided. In my own area flood protection is at the level of a one in 200 year event. That is far above what the insurance industry talks about in any other area. It is double the standard it seeks. I facilitated the transfer of information from Dublin City Council and the OPW to Insurance Ireland, which made pledges that it would respond within a week and said that the information seemed to be correct.

The OPW is one of the best groups to work on flood relief. In my constituency, and many other constituencies, it has done excellent work. I ask the Minister of State to tell his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes that we have listened carefully to the insurance industry but we have seen very little action. I believe that it is now time for action from this House to tell the insurance industry to get its act together and let the taxpayer see a real dividend from the excellent work carried out by the OPW. While this is an important constituency matter for me, it is equally so in many areas across the country where there is such a large investment. The OPW spends approximately €40 million a year on flood protection. We need to see a dividend from money that we spend on behalf of taxpayers. I am telling the insurance industry to get its act together or we will bring in legislation to ensure that this insurance cover is provided. I have been dealing with this matter for 10 years and the insurance companies are great at talking the talk but not very good at walking the walk.

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