Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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307. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans and the timeframe to simplify public access to online CFRAM extent and risk maps in view of the fact that, increasingly, insurance companies require persons to submit copies of such maps as evidence with applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23200/17]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland are developing Flood Maps as part of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme and in accordance with the requirements set out in the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC). The CFRAM Programme is focusing on 300 areas - called Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) - that were designated in 2012 at being potentially significant risk from flooding.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) through its Engineering Consultants over the past number of years, and working with Local Authorities, embarked on extensive and detailed analysis to understand the risk of flooding in each of these areas. Developing these flood maps has also involved extensive public consultation that has provided a great deal of local knowledge.

The flood maps are community based maps and provide a useful resource for planning and emergency response. They also provide the level of flood risk for an area for the OPW to develop feasible flood relief measures. The draft measures for these 300 areas were published in the 29 draft Flood Risk Management Plans, for public consultation last year.

The OPW Flood Maps are therefore intended for planning purposes and are not maps that designate individual properties at being at risk from flooding. Draft flood maps which are available on the OPW website were published for the purpose of consultation and cannot be used for commercial purposes.

The OPW is over the coming months finalising the Flood Risk Management Plans, that will include the final Flood Maps for the 300 AFAs and will be submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for his approval. The OPW is currently enhancing its website to support the publication of the final maps and Flood Risk Management Plans.

In order to assist insurance companies assess the risk and take into account the protection provided by completed OPW flood defence schemes, the OPW has a Memorandum of Understanding with Insurance Ireland, the representative body of the insurance industry. This Memorandum sets out principles of how the two organisations work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information on these completed schemes is provided to insurers to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. Insurance Ireland members have committed to take into account all information provided by OPW when assessing exposure to flood risk within these protected areas. To date OPW has provided details to Insurance Ireland on 17 completed schemes nationally and Insurance Ireland has advised that flood insurance cover is included in 83% of policies in these defended areas. The OPW has recently provided details on a further completed scheme to Insurance Ireland.

The decision on whether to offer insurance, level of premiums charged and the policy terms applied are matters for individual insurers. 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.

The insurance industry has its own flood modelling tools for assessing the level of risk to individual properties and it has highlighted to the OPW that it does not use the OPW Flood Maps to inform its flood modelling.

Any person with an insurance-related query or complaint can contact Insurance Ireland's Insurance Information Service (01 676 1914 or iis@insuranceireland.eu). In addition, the Financial Services Ombudsman (1890 88 20 90) deals independently with unresolved complaints from consumers about their individual dealings with all financial service providers.