Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also want to raise with the Minister of State the flooding in Cork in November 2009. I will not deny that Cork has had flooding problems for many years. I recall as a young child my father, who ran a shop in Cork city centre, regularly being called out by the fire brigade in the early hours of the morning because the shop was under two feet of water.

Traditionally, flooding in Cork was due to a combination of high tides, heavy rainfall and winds coming from the east. The main drainage system now in place has alleviated that problem. The two major floods in Cork which hit the headlines were in November 2009 and 28 June this year. These had nothing to do with the tide although heavy rainfall was a consideration in the flooding in November 2009. We do not as yet have a definitive report on what went wrong. Last winter, the local authorities in Cork city and county and the ESB worked together to manage the dam. University College Cork is suing the ESB. It is dreadful that one arm of the State is suing another. A great deal of damage was caused by the flooding in November 2009. The new computer science building in UCC, which had not even opened, was completely destroyed. A new library in Cork County Council was also destroyed. We have all heard the stories. The people's need for answers about what happened has not been satisfied. Many people in and around Mercy University Hospital woke up in water up to their ears because the wall of the river broke. They had never experienced flooding in their area before. Thankfully, that is now being replaced.

The floods in Cork this year were as a result of high rainfall. I have interacted on this issue with engineers on the ground in Cork, who have a great understanding of what went wrong and are working with the local authorities to address the issue. I am confused. The local authorities prepare reports which are then sent to the OPW and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Who makes the decision in regard to what happens? There is much confusion around this issue. People are not satisfied that there is one direct line of communication. If one raises this matter on the Adjournment it may be taken by the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, or a Minister or Minister of State from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, dealt previously with a matter I raised. The lines of communication are muddy and it is unclear to where one should direct queries.

Some insurance companies have refused to re-insure people because they live in a flood risk area. I raised this issue with Mr. Michael Kemp, chief executive of the Irish Insurance Federation, last year and I have also raised it in this House.

Mr. Kemp indicated that it was working with the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, and the Office of Public Works, OPW, to improve the flow of information between insurers and the OPW, and this should help to prioritise areas where flood defences can contribute to improved insurability. Today the Minister of State has indicated that he and his officials are engaged with the insurance industry to agree a format; therefore, the process is still ongoing nearly a year later. Surely if there is investment in an area and officials sit down with the insurance industry representatives to agree what measures should be put in place, we could move on.