Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hope to be in a position to make a public announcement about a new memorandum of understanding between the Office of Public Works and the Insurance Federation.

That memorandum will relate to their understanding of what will be the position when we have concluded works on capital schemes and, in view of the funding we have invested, the fact that they will have a responsibility for reinsuring the communities involved. I hope to be in a position to make the announcement in respect of this matter in the next six weeks or so. I assure the Deputy that there is no lack of effort on the part of the staff of the OPW in respect of this matter. I hope the insurance industry will sign up to the memorandum to which I refer and accept its responsibility in respect of this matter, particularly in light of the significant amount of funding - some €250 million - that will be provided to the OPW over a five-year period in order that it might proceed with flood prevention schemes throughout the country.

I wish to reply to the rather long-winded question posed by my colleague from Galway West. He knows - because I already told him - but, for whatever reason, he does not want to accept-----

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