Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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308. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to give details on the progress that has been made between his Department and the insurance industry on information exchange on investment on flood defences; the timeline for their completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7730/14]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) has taken the lead role in discussions with Insurance Ireland on the format and protocols for the provision of information to the industry on completed OPW major flood defence schemes with a view to improving the availability of insurance cover in areas where the OPW, or local authorities with OPW funding, have carried out such schemes. There have been some unexpected issues on the industry side requiring finalisation but I am confident that, in the coming weeks, I will be in a position to make an announcement on an agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the industry and the OPW.

The OPW has to date provided information on 12 completed flood relief schemes in an agreed format to Insurance Ireland and I expect to see that, in these protected areas, the insurance industry recognises this significant capital investment on behalf of the taxpayer, and insures properties benefiting from that investment.

It is important, nevertheless, to state that the OPW has no role or function in relation to the oversight or regulation of the insurance industry or of insurance matters generally. I am aware that the issue of obtaining insurance cover continues to cause great difficulty to people in certain locations. Insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they would be accepting on a case by case basis but, where flood defence investments have been made and the standard of protection can be verified, I see no reason why the insurance industry cannot provide flood insurance cover in these communities.