Sunk by complacency
Call for faster action on flood defences and a new insurance model for victims as Taoiseach is accused of foundering
IRELAND needs to adopt a flood insurance model similar to our neighbour’s and to urgently accelerate the installation of flood protection schemes around the country, Fianna Fáil said yesterday.
Policy change in the area of insurance cover for flood risk areas is the most pressing issue facing a Government which had delayed too long for entire communities, Opposition leader Micheál Martin told the Dáil as he urged the adoption of the British approach which subsidises insurers.
‘It’s a key issue for businesses, homes and farmers,’ he said. ‘This is the fourth time since 2009 that flooding of this nature has occurred and many are no longer insured or cannot get any insurance.’
Two years ago the British government agreed to develop a not-forprofit scheme with the insurance sector. Flood Re, short for Flood Reinsurance, allows flood cover to remain widely affordable and available for businesses while allowing a transition to risk-reflective pricing over a 25-year period.
The Government here has yet to engage with the insurance sector on such a scheme, said Mr Martin, as he asked the Taoiseach to commit to replicating the British approach.
He said there have been many complaints about the absence of flood safeguards and called on Mr Kenny to ‘get his wellies on’ to see for himself.
‘Ballinasloe was told that the 2009 flood was a once in 100 years event, and now they now that is not,’ said the Fianna Fáil leader. Adding that a €2.5million long-range flood warning unit within Met Éireann is now being sought, but Mr Kenny himself had stated that such a unit was needed in 2012, ‘and clearly it was not done’
In response, Mr Kenny said the impact of a flood in any household or business was clearly devastating. ‘It ruins property and destroys peoples’ care, attention and pride for their houses and businesses.’ He said he was aware of the insurance subvention system in Britain.
‘Flood Re has been focused on by the British Government for quite some time. I am not sure whether it is as successful as people might have imagined, but it is something that we would like to look at here,’ he said.
Even business people behind flood defences in Clonmel, Mallow or Fermoy, cannot get insurance, Mr Kenny said. ‘Obviously that is an issue. It’s why we would like €5million to be made available for businesses that have been flooded and brought to them shortly before Christmas.’
He said the national situation had brought about an enormous community response. ‘The warning was relayed in good time, and there was a coordination between community, Civil Defence, gardaí, local authorities, OPW and the Red Cross.’
He said they were ‘visible all over the country in terms of the assistance that is being given’.
‘The latest is that the Defence Forces have responded to all requests received from the principal response agencies. That has involved a deployment to eight counties comprising over 200 Army personnel, 34 vehicles and an Air Corps helicopter.’
He said junior minister with responsibility for the OPW, Simon Harris, would go to Bandon next week with Red Cross personnel and talk about the issues. He said legal objections to the tendering process for the flood protections there ‘are now cleared and the funding is in place for that scheme to go ahead in 2016’.
Mr Kenny said Mr Harris would travel to other places, including Galway and Crossmolina, to bring designs for flood defences, meet the people and discuss what could happen now and in the medium term.
‘Clearly, with the Shannon continuing to rise, and other difficulties for bridges, roads, etc, there are issues that cannot be assessed until it clears,’ he said.
But Mr Martin said this only confirmed a lack of preparation, urgency and delivery of any coordinated and comprehensive response.
He said: ‘Despite the fact that we have had increasing storms of greater severity… more regularly, all the Taoiseach can say now is that he would like to look at it.’
Mr Kenny said €1billion had been allocated over the next ten years to flood relief works in 300 locations throughout the country.