One authority in charge of flood defences urged

A SINGLE national authority should be charged with developing defences against flooding, the insurance industry said yesterday.

The challenge came as the insurers’ representative body revealed yesterday that flooding and other weather damage to property had led to claims totalling 67m. The bulk of these claims came from floods last February, with most of the money going to householders and property owners in Dublin and adjoining east coast areas.

A major freeze-up on New Year’s Eve led to largescale incidents of burst pipes with resultant claims.