Insurers paid €157m in winter storm claims

The winter storms that occurred in the first two months of last year cost the Irish insurance industry €157m, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

Claims, however, arising from extreme weather conditions since 2000 had amounted to €1.45bn, the joint committee on finance, public expenditure, and reform was told.

The winter storms of December 2013-February 2014 resulted in just over 30,000 claims, Kevin Thompson, CEO of Insurance Ireland, told the committee.