Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
345. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department can confirm the permanent defence measures in place to protect an area of county Clare (details supplied) from flooding. [68817/26]
View answerThe Shannon Town and Environs Flood Relief Scheme will provide protection to some 1,400 properties from a 1 in 100 year flood event. The scheme is currently at the design stage and is expected to be submitted for planning consent by Clare County Council, to An Coimisiún Pleanála in Q2 2027.
The Government recognises that flood risk is an increasingly significant challenge, with implications for households, businesses, the insurance market, and the State. The Department of Finance has lead policy responsibility for matters in relation to Insurance, including flood insurance and has therefore prioritised reform in this area via the Action Plan for Insurance Reform 2025 - 2029.
The Department of Finance has advised that it is currently engaging with multiple stakeholders on the development of a long-term strategic approach to the provision of flood insurance, to consider potential solutions, specific to Ireland, to increase the availability and affordability of flood insurance.
In this light, the Government has recently agreed to the establishment of the Flood Insurance Protection Gap Working Group, which will assess various policy options to narrow the flood insurance protection gap. This approach will seek to ensure the market remains involved in the provision of cover and any proposed measure does not lead to a sharp increase in premiums, less risk reduction and fewer adaptation measures, lower risk awareness, or inadvertently widening rather than narrowing the insurance protection gaps over time.
The insurance industry has its own flood modelling tools for assessing the level of risk that it is willing to underwrite in relation to individual properties. 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. Neither the Minister for Finance or the Central Bank of Ireland can direct the provision or pricing of insurance products, in accordance with the EU framework for insurance (Solvency II Directive).
The OPW, through the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, carried out the largest ever flood risk study in Ireland to date, which assessed 80% of properties at risk from Ireland’s main causes of flooding. The OPW Flood Maps, that show the flood risk for 300 communities, are a key output of the study together with 29 Flood Risk Management Plans, with the proposed flood relief measures to address the flood risk in each of those communities.
The Flood Maps are available for the public to view at: www.floodinfo.ie - However, it is important to note that they are community based maps. The maps were not designed to designate individual properties at risk. The maps show the probable extent of flooding based on future projections. The Disclaimer and Conditions for Use of OPW flood maps on www.floodinfo.ie includes a provision that users of the website must not use the flood maps, or any other content of the website for commercial purposes. As such, the Disclaimer prevents insurance companies from using the flood maps generated by the OPW. Insurance Ireland, the representative body of the insurance industry has confirmed that the insurance companies do not use the OPW maps. As set out above the insurance industry has its own flood modelling tools for assessing the level of risk that it is willing to underwrite in relation to individual properties.
Insurance Ireland operates an Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, complaints or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance, which can be contacted at 01 676 1914 or feedback@insuranceireland.eu. Similarly, Brokers Ireland, the representative body for insurance brokers in Ireland, has access to a wide range of providers and products and can offer advice for customers when sourcing cover. Brokers Ireland can be reached at 01 661 3067. Furthermore, where an individual considers that they have been treated unfairly, they have the option of making a complaint to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). The FSPO can be contacted either by email at info@fspo.ie or by telephone at 01 567 7000.
