Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his promised support. In my view, the attitude of the insurance industry to the provision of insurance where demountable defences have been put in place is now bordering on the ridiculous and cannot be allowed to continue. Demountable defences are an internationally accepted and established measure for providing flood protection as part of publicly funded flood relief schemes. They form a critical part of the Bradley and Shrewsbury schemes on the River Severn in the UK and are used in the Netherlands, France, Germany and the USA. In Austria, demountable defences successfully provided protection to at least 14 cities and towns during the extreme floods along the Danube and Elbe rivers in 2013. Demountable schemes there were up to 3 km in length and up to 4.6 m in height. As such, I do not understand the position of insurance companies in Ireland when the international experience shows that demountable defences are very effective and meet the one-in-100 river protection criteria and one-in-200 tidal protection criteria.

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