Flood group to fight for insurance cover

THE lobby group fighting for flood-ravaged communities is to press the Government to take on the insurance industry and help flood victims get cover.

The Irish National Flood Forum, which represents some 400 flood-prone communities across the country, said it will bring its members’ insurance concerns directly to the minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) at its second national conference this weekend.

“If you ask anyone in a flood-risk community at the moment what the most outstanding problem is, they’ll say insurance,” National Flood Forum member Cathal O’Donovan said.

“The days of saying floods are an act of God are gone. Flooding can be controlled and can be tackled.

“But there are areas regarded as no-go areas by insurance companies.

“This needs to be tackled by Government and the Irish Insurance Federation,” he said.

Mr O’Donovan said the minister will also be pressed to fast-track the delivery of flood defences and flood-relief projects.

The National Flood Forum was set up last year by members of the Skibbereen Flood Committee in west Cork to advise and support communities and individuals in flood-risk zones across the country.

It also acts as a link between flood victims and the various state agencies involved in managing flood risk.

Its second National Flood Forum will take place in the University of Limerick on Saturday.

Several engineering and flood experts will address the forum, as well as Minister Brian Hayes; Michael Collins, the assistant chief engineer of OPW; Tom Hayes, civil engineering manager of ESB Energy International; and Phil Prendergast, MEP.