Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have spoken in this Chamber before about the significant delays in the Government's response to the scale of Storm Éowyn. With climate change, there are likely to be stronger storms in future. We need preparations. Some years ago, after flash floods in Louth, the then Minister, Simon Coveney, committed to putting business flood relief schemes on a permanent statutory footing. I believe that is the Government's plan. With Storm Éowyn, however, we saw that, while the Department of Social Protection can activate its humanitarian assistance scheme very quickly, it can take longer to source supports for community groups and small businesses. That must be addressed.

There is a further key problem in that, even where flood defences are put in place, many insurers continue to refuse to offer flood protection to homes and businesses. In the UK, there is Flood Re, a reinsurance scheme to promote affordability and availability of insurance for British households that are at a higher risk of flooding. This is a very serious issue in my own constituency, particularly in coastal communities around Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount where it can be very difficult for households to get flood insurance even where there are flood defences in place. I know we are not the only constituency affected. Will the Government act to introduce a similar reinsurance scheme to offer protections for households and businesses that are really concerned about the likely impact of future flooding?

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