Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I want to praise the local authorities for their response in every case, often under very difficult circumstances. We need to have a much greater awareness on the ground of the kind of supports that exist, almost a one-stop-shop, to be able to move in as quickly as possible. As part of a whole-of-government approach I have become increasingly concerned, for instance about the number of cases that have happened in County Wexford. The Minister of State will be aware of the number of cases that have happened in County Kilkenny. These are events that people normally talk about happening once in a lifetime or once in 100 years. If they continue to happen more regularly and if it becomes more difficult for businesses and households to get insurance, a broader approach will be needed. We cannot have an ad hoc response every time we have one of these events and I hope this is something the Minister of State's Department can consider, in partnership with the local authorities.