Fine Gael Cork South West Deputy, Jim Daly, has called on the Government to work with the insurance industry to establish a solidarity insurance flood fund which could meet the needs of home owners who cannot obtain insurance on their property as a result of having claimed for flood damage in the past.

Deputy Daly will be meeting with the CEO of the Irish Insurance Federation, Mr. Kevin Thompson, next week to discuss this proposal and to seek support from the Federation.

Deputy Daly has raised this issue in the Dáil and has also met with the Minister of State at the OPW, Brian Hayes TD, who has responsibility for this area, to outline the Government's duty in assisting citizens who find themselves in this difficult position through no fault of their own.

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"For 98 per cent of the population, getting home insurance is no problem. For the other 2 per cent who are refused cover it is the source of extreme anxiety and frustration, as they await the devastation and financial hardship that the next flood will bring. The introduction of a levy of €10 each year on every house insurance policy in the country could generate a fund in the region €20 million per annum, which could be used to assist flooded homeowners in their hour of need.

"If we consider that in 2012, a total of 627 households made flood related claims totalling €15 million, a solidarity fund of this nature could become a reliable and appropriate means of supporting flood-affected property owners who cannot obtain insurance cover. This concept is not new; a similar scheme operates in parts of the US by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which assists flood victims in this way in some states. The idea has also been in operation in Ireland since 1955 when the Government led an initiative to work with insurance companies to offer cover for the victims of car accidents where the parties involved did not have insurance cover.

"The OPW is committed to reducing the impact of flooding through flood defences and the national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme. Capital investment programmes and expenditure on the maintenance of arterial drainage schemes, which will see up to €250 million being spent on flood relief measures over the next five years, are also in place."

(CD/IT)