John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Flood Insurance Bill, which Sinn Féin will support, as my colleague Deputy Doherty outlined. I also welcome those who are present in the Public Gallery who have eagerly awaited this debate for some time. We have all seen the impact flooding has had on communities right across the State and the total and utter devastation on homes, businesses, families and business owners.

The inaction of successive Governments - this Government and its predecessors - in tackling the issue of flooding has been extremely frustrating for those who have been directly affected by it. The absolute failure to invest in proper flood prevention has given insurance companies an excuse to refuse to offer insurance cover to home and business owners. The impact of this can be seen in towns like Bray and Arklow in my constituency. The annual pilgrimage of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and various Ministers to the River Shannon basin for photo opportunities, as they wear their new wellies, sit on the back of tractors and fall out of boats, should be seen for what it is - an exercise in fake sympathy and false concern that is not followed up with action. I commend the Irish National Flood Forum for bringing this issue to the fore. It has persevered with the issue of flooding and brought it to the point at which we are debating it here. While I acknowledge that this legislation has been proposed by Fianna Fáil, I emphasise that the forum has played a substantial part in advancing this issue.

Many communities across the State that have been fighting insurance companies to get local homes insured have also been fighting dubious planning decisions that have rezoned flood plains the length and breadth of this State. They have been challenging irresponsible and reckless councillors who have voted for rezoning, thereby aiding and abetting greedy developers whose only and ultimate interest is profit. In the community of Little Bray in my constituency of Wicklow, the SWAP group came together to fight for flood protection on the River Dargle, which flooded in 1905, 1931, 1965 and during Hurricane Charlie in 1986, and to prevent development along the river's flood plain. SWAP has been engaged in a lengthy battle for flood protection works that are now thankfully coming to a conclusion, as the Minister of State is aware. SWAP has been fighting for 11 years to prevent a consortium of developers, Pizarro Developments, from building on the flood plain on the low-lying area of the old Bray Golf Club lands. It is absolute madness that planning permission has been granted for high density developments on this flood plain. The Minister of State is aware of this because I have been in direct correspondence with him.

SWAP's simple request remains the same as it was in 2005. It wants the development to be built alongside the flood plain rather than on top of it. I suggest this is the most basic commonsense for anyone to see. I hope the Minister of State can see this. I ask him to intervene in this ridiculous situation by stopping the proposed development on this flood plain. I commend the members of SWAP on the Trojan work they have been engaged in over the past 11 years. I welcome the members of the SWAP community who are in the Gallery this evening, including Noeleen, Mary, Pauline, Vincent, Derek, Marie and David. Their work to protect the most vulnerable people in the community of Little Bray - the elderly and the disabled - is a credit to each of them. I commend the many people who have worked tirelessly to protect the community of Little Bray. The human cost of flooding is well known. We see many cases and we read many stories every year. As I have said, it is not right that when flooding events happen, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and various Ministers rush to make a pilgrimage to areas that are flooded. Such events should not be photo opportunities for Ministers.

Insurance companies should not be allowed to deny insurance cover when flood defences are in place, but we have already heard that such companies are not just stopping insurance cover for flooding; they are also stopping insurance cover for theft and fire. This is having a huge impact. It is important to emphasise when we are talking about flood defences that the best way to stop floods is not to allow developers to build on flood plains in the first place. I hope the Minister of State will take this on board. I ask him to reflect on all the contributions that have been made to this debate on flooding, especially the points that have been made about insurance and building on flood plains. He is well aware of these issues. I have been in direct correspondence with him about the flood plain in Bray. We have a once-off opportunity to protect the community of Little Bray. I appeal to the Minister of State to intervene to protect the flood plain in Bray.

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