James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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243. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will instruct the OPW to conduct a flood risk review in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27694/25]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I am advised that the South Lotts area referred to by the Deputy is protected by the Dodder Flood Relief Scheme. The flood maps for the area were developed under the Pilot Dodder CFRAM Study and are available for the public to view on the OPW flood portal www.floodinfo.ie.

Updates and revisions to the flood maps may occasionally be required due to a change in physical conditions, detection of errors or based on other specific evidence. In these circumstances a Flood Map Review may be undertaken. I am advised that while the OPW has no plans at this time to carry out a flood map review of the area in question, a flood map review can be instigated by the submission of a Flood Map Review Request Form. Full details of the Flood Map Review Programme and guidance notes for making a flood map review are available from www.floodinfo.ie.

A flood map review is a two-stage process with the first stage representing a screening exercise. Where there is sufficient evidence provided that a published flood map does not reflect the current conditions, the OPW will proceed to a detailed re-assessment of the area in question.

Where a flood map is updated, the revised draft flood map is published on www.floodinfo.ie for comment for a period of 30 days. Following this period, any comments received are reviewed and, if appropriate, any resultant amendments are made with the final flood maps produced and published on the website.

The Department of Finance has responsibility for insurance matters, including flood insurance. The Department of Finance engages with the insurance industry on all aspects of insurance reform, including flood cover issues which are a priority for the Government and efforts continue to be made to encourage a responsive approach to the provision of flood insurance from the insurance industry.

The Government’s strategy is that the most at-risk communities, households and businesses should be able to access flood insurance in return to its investment in flood defence schemes. Since 2014, the OPW has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Insurance Ireland, the representative body of the insurance industry, which sets out the principles of how the two organisations work together to ensure that appropriate and relevant information is provided on completed flood defence schemes to facilitate, to the greatest extent possible, the availability to the public of insurance against the risk of flooding. Information has been provided to Insurance Ireland under the MOU on completed flood defence schemes, including the Dodder Flood Relief Scheme which shows the design, extent and nature of the protections offered by the schemes.

The MOU does not guarantee the availability of flood insurance. While Insurance Ireland members have committed to take into account all information provided by the OPW when assessing exposure to flood risk within the protected areas, the decision on whether to offer insurance, the 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. In addition, the Government cannot interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products, as reinforced by the EU framework for insurance (Solvency II Directive).