Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
291. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to introduce a scheme in association with insurance companies, whereby homeowners can obtain insurance to protect their homes and properties against flooding (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11476/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, I wish to acknowledge the serious damage caused by recent flooding events, and the impact they have had on families, communities, and businesses across Ireland.
We know that flood insurance alone cannot address the totality of the flood protection gap, that is why the Government remains focused on the development of a sustainable, planned, and risk-based approach to managing flooding. We are investing in climate adaptation measures to manage the impacts of extreme weather, to protect Ireland’s present and future generations.
The Government remains committed to protecting Ireland’s present and future generations by investing in climate adaptation measures to manage the impacts of extreme weather. Accordingly, €1.3 billion has been committed to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan (NDP) to 2030. This will protect approximately 23,000 properties across various communities from river and coastal flood risk.
My Department 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. This work will build on the extensive research undertaken by the Central Bank of Ireland into the nature and scale of the Flood Protection Gap in Ireland, which identified that approximately 5% of buildings in Ireland that have limited access to flood insurance. An update on this work and the other specific actions in the Plan will be provided at the upcoming Cabinet Sub-Group on Insurance Reform, which I chair.
Where Government has invested in flood defences, industry should improve the level of cover in areas where flood defences exist. Work is being progressed through the working group between the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Insurance Ireland. Furthermore, officials in my Department, the Department of Housing Local Government; along with other stakeholders engage constructively with this process on how the levels of insurance cover might be improved in areas where flood defence works have been completed.
We will also continue to monitor developments at EU and international level to understand what other countries are doing in relation to flood insurance. These matters remain a priority for the Government and efforts continue to be made to encourage a responsive approach from the insurance industry.
