Government officials are speaking to representatives of the insurance industry about establishing a protocol on how insurance firms might deal with homeowners with properties that are prone to flooding, Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes has said.
Speaking after heavy rain cause flash flooding along the east coast, Mr Hayes said the Government would look on applications for humanitarian relief made by homeowners unable to insure properties because of past flooding in a “sympathetic light”.
"If funding has to be found in terms of dealing with a number of people who are really in a destitute position we will look upon that but I think it's too early to say that now," Mr Hayes said in an interview on RTÉ Morning Ireland today.
He said that he hoped to make a statement about a new insurance protocol for homeowners who had repeatedly fallen victim to flooding in the next few weeks after consulting with the Irish Insurance Federation.
"What is indefensible in my view is where the State through the Office of Public Works funds capital projects and put in flood defences and then we find local residents in that community can't obtain insurance," he said.
The vast majority of public transport services have resumed and most roads have re-opened following Monday’s torrential rain and flash floods.
Service on the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise Rail service are still suspended between Newry and Belfast due to flooding on the line with bus transfers expected to continue throughout today.
Bayside Dart station in Dublin is closed due to flooding of the station building. Passengers are advised to use Sutton or Howth Junction. Lane closures are expected to remain in place on Wolfe Tone Quay until further notice following flooding. Traffic inbound to the city is reduced to one lane.
Some roads near the Lacken Gap and Manor Kilbride in Co Wicklow remained impassable this morning and the Slea Head Road (R559) in Co Kerry is closed at Cumeenole Beach until further notice due to continued flooding.
The cost of repairing the damage caused by the floods is expected to run into tens of millions of euro. Irish Insurance Federation chief executive Michael Kemp said the cost was likely to be “considerable” because most of the flooding had occurred in densely populated areas in and around the capital.
The northbound Wolfe Tone Quay was damaged by the flooding and is down to one lane. Merrion Road around St Vincent's hospital still had surface water on it last night and there were still problems on the Con Colbert Road out of Dublin.
Two people died as a result of the flooding in counties Dublin and Wicklow.
The funeral of one of the victims, Garda Ciaran Jones (25), is scheduled to take place on Friday in Co Wicklow.
Garda Jones, from Manor Kilbride, was dragged into the Liffey from the Ballysmuttan Bridge close to his home at about 7pm on Monday after he attempted to warn motorists not to cross the bridge. His remains were found yesterday morning by a search team some 4km downstream of where the incident happened.
The second victim, Celia Ferrer De Jesus form the Philippines, was found dead at her home on Parnell Road in Harold’s Cross. A Garda investigation into the cause of her death is ongoing, a Garda spokesman said today.
Ms Ferrer De Jesus was an employee of Our Lady's Hospice and Care Services in Harold's Cross. She moved to Ireland 10 years ago. She is survived by her husband Angelito and son Michael Kevin (19) who both live in the Philippines.
Arrangements are being made to repatriate her remains.