Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Work continues today on managing the fallout from Storm Ophelia, which hit the country on Monday. Those at the front line were rightly praised yesterday and continue to be praised for their outstanding efforts. They include the emergency services, local authorities, the ESB, Irish Water and many others. There are many issues that still need to be addressed but I think we can agree that the most pressing one for those affected is the lack of electricity and water. Today, there are still over 130,000 homes without power, some 48,000 homes are without water supply and another 50-odd thousand face the prospect of potentially losing their water. I acknowledge the extraordinary effort that is being put in by the ESB, which has already restored power to over a quarter of a million homes around the country, but I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that for those without power and in some cases, without power and water, it is an absolute nightmare, particularly for elderly people living alone and families with young children. Many of the affected homes are in County Cork and in several other counties around the country. People want to know when they will get their power and water supply restored. Can the Taoiseach reassure people that everything that can be done is being done? I am told by the ESB in the southern region that help is arriving from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France and even the Isle of Man and that is to be very much welcomed. Does the Taoiseach have an update on the number of homes the ESB expects to be in a position to restore power to over the course of today and tomorrow? The question is the same with regard to water.

The other issue I want to raise, which is very much related to the storm, is insurance. A greater effort is needed to provide information to consumers about their rights and what they can expect, for example, dealing with the myth that acts of God are not covered. There is no such exclusion clause, as the Taoiseach knows, in household and commercial insurance policies. Other measures include advising consumers to read in detail their policy document and booklet, ensuring that adequate resources are provided by insurance companies to provide inspections, dealing with claims processing as quickly as possible and advising those who are hiring loss assessors, particularly for larger claims, to use the services of companies that are regulated by the Central Bank. When I look at the website of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, I found no such information and no update from the commission as to what people should be doing in terms of taking photographic evidence and so on and what the rights and entitlements are so I ask the Taoiseach to address that point. I also ask him to give an assurance that Government will engage with the insurance industry to ensure that the claims arising from this storm are not used as cover for further hikes in premiums for both households and businesses throughout the country.

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