We’re living in fear of another flood disaster

I THOUGHT I should share the way my elderly mother and I are feeling at the moment. It’s only August and already we are terrified of the coming winter.

As everyone knows, Ireland is noted for its bad weather — rain, cold, winds, etc. Last year we had very heavy rain but it was no different to many winters before that.

For 17 years we have been living in our house in Inniscarra, Co Cork, and we had never been flooded until November 19 last year.

We have been refused house cover by every insurance company as we have had a claim for more than €10,000 in the past three years.

The ESB said if it was faced with the same flood situation again it would do exactly the same. Where does that leave us and the people in Inniscarra and Cork city. Without insurance we will all end up homeless.

Our home is still not finished and it won’t be because the insurance company refused to pay us what we needed to put it back the way it was. I keep trying to put my mother’s mind at rest, saying it won’t happen again, but who will put my mind at rest.

Judy Kelly

Garravagh

Inniscarra

Co Cork