Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works has no role or function in relation to oversight or regulation of the insurance industry. Insurance companies make commercial decisions on the provision of insurance cover based on their assessment of the risks they are prepared to accept on a case by case basis. Any question of ensuring that home owners can access flood insurance would be a matter for the Minister for Finance.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Office of Public Works and Insurance Ireland, which was signed on 24th March 2014, outlines the principles of agreement between the parties on the provision of information to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. The Office of Public Works is committed to providing Insurance Ireland with data on all completed OPW flood defence schemes showing the design, extent and nature of the protections offered by these works. Insurance Ireland members will then take into account all information provided by the OPW when assessing exposure to flood risk within these areas.

To date, the OPW has provided the Insurance sector with details of 16 completed flood relief schemes. Under the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme detailed flood hazard maps for 300 at risk communities throughout the country are being produced which, following public consultation, will be made available publicly leading to the finalisation of the maps and the development of draft Catchment Flood Risk Management Plans. These Plans will include an examination of all possible options to address the flood risk in the locations in question and will recommend an integrated set of measures, both structural and non-structural, as appropriate, to deal with and manage the risk. Information on the structural measures arising from the CFRAM programme will be provided to the Insurance industry in accordance with the MoU.