Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with much of what the Deputy has said in respect of the difficulties caused to families and businesses where they are unable to get flood insurance. This discussion with the insurance industry is ongoing. A great deal of detailed work is being done, including an international comparison of what other countries faced with the same issues are doing. Many countries in Europe, including our neighbours in the United Kingdom, are faced with repeat episodes of flooding. Different models of seeking to have the matter addressed through general insurance have been tried in these countries. Some have worked more effectively than others but in all of the countries this is an issue for the insurance industry.

I agree that where significant sums of public money have been spent on either permanent flood defences or on removable or demountable flood defences, the statistics show in a significant number of cases that a proportion of people continue to be denied insurance by the insurance industry. Obviously it is a priority that this should be addressed.

The conversation with the insurance industry is ongoing. On Tuesday, for example, the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my colleague, Deputy Brendan Howlin, presented to Cabinet a detailed proposal in respect of the oversight of the development of the flood risk management programme for the Shannon basin. This has been discussed in the House and it is now going ahead and progressing. I assure Deputy McGrath that as part of the process there was a discussion of the statistical evidence, which shows that notwithstanding the significant sums of public money being spent, some people are being refused insurance even where there are permanent flood defences.

The rate of refusal is significantly higher where flood defences are of the demountable kind. It is an ongoing issue with the insurance industry. The reason a meeting with the insurance industry did not take place as recently as last week was because the Taoiseach had commitments in the UK and the annual conference on the economy in Switzerland. He was involved in heavily promoting Ireland at a very large international business conference. I do not think that people would have wished him to do anything other than go and defend Ireland. I anticipate that the follow-on meeting with the insurance industry will happen quite soon.

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