Most in favour of state-back insurance fund to help weather victims

A new engineering survey shows that two in five people blame building on flood plains for the country's failure to deal with severe weather.

Three in five people are in favour of a state-backed insurance fund for areas at high risk from floods.

The research has been released by Engineers Ireland ahead of a forum on flooding taking place in Dublin this morning.

The group's director general Caroline Spillane said 60% of those surveyed said the state should set up an insurance fund for those in high-risk areas.

A full 90% want the Government to prioritise a national road-and-building-repair programme as part of infrastructural planning.