Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Oct 2023

Vol. 1044 No. 5

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Cannabis for Medicinal Use

Deputy Gino Kenny

There has been much frustration about the lack of progress with the medical cannabis access programme, MCAP. The first time the access programme was mooted was in 2017 after a report by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA. In the meantime, there has been a lack of progress. Since 2016 and 2017, there has been much campaigning by families and individuals to get access. The majority of people who campaigned have got access via a licence system. That is not perfect by any means but at least they have access. The whole idea of the medical cannabis access programme was to give individuals access via prescription. To date, only 50 people have got access. That is a tiny number when you consider that the programme has been up and running for two years. From the outset, we have always said that the programme was extremely restrictive with the conditions that were stipulated. There is significant evidence, particularly regarding neuropathic pain, that medical cannabis can be very beneficial.

The programme has been reviewed by the Health Research Board. There is hope among those who have been campaigning for this for a long time that the review will support and recommend the expansion of the programme. If it does not expand to other conditions, it is redundant.

There are major issues regarding who can prescribe medical cannabis. The programme is a good concept but it is extremely onerous on the consultants who register their patients for it. Consultants say that there is significant paperwork to register patients and for access.

The main thing we are requesting for those who have been campaigning for better access is an expansion of the programme. It should be general practitioner-led rather than consultant-led because consultants, at the best of times, are hard to see in the first place. That restrictive process needs to be looked at. Another issue with lack of access is where people have to go to the black market. It is onerous when people who have an illness must rely on the black market. Some people even go abroad to get access to medical cannabis. The worst of all is when people have to go without. That is just not acceptable. This programme was set up to give people access. At the moment, however, the programme is too restrictive. Hopefully, the review will support and recommend the expansion of the programme in order that people, particularly those with neuropathic pain and chronic pain, can get access. Otherwise, the programme will stand still and will be largely redundant if it does not expand in the context of the three conditions that are stipulated.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Hildegarde Naughton)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. MCAP is operated by the primary care reimbursement service of the HSE and is a statutory programme to enable clinicians and patients to access prescribed cannabis-based products for the treatment of three specific conditions, as specified in the HPRA's 2017 report, Cannabis for Medical Use - A Scientific Review, which was commissioned by the Minister for Health. The three conditions are spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions while under expert medical supervision, intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy despite the use of standard antiemetic regimes while under expert medical supervision, and severe refractory treatment-resistant epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications while under expert medical supervision.

The prescribed cannabis-based products are not authorised medicines that have gone through the normal processes for medicines to get a marketing authorisation, hence the requirement for the programme to access the products. There are authorised cannabis-based medicines for the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and nausea. As such, these are not available for inclusion in the programme and can be prescribed like any other authorised medicine in the normal manner. The Misuse Of Drugs (Prescription And Control Of Supply Of Cannabis For Medical Use) Regulations 2019, SI 262/2019, set out the legal provisions for the operation of the medical cannabis access programme and the legal obligations for healthcare professionals and commercial operators. Schedule 1 of the regulations comprises the specified controlled drugs, specifications for which are defined in the regulations, which may be included in the programme for patient treatment. Manufacturers can apply to the HPRA to have their cannabis-based product assessed for inclusion in Schedule 1 as a product that meets the requirements for a specified controlled drug, as set out in the regulations. Any addition to the Schedule 1 products is done by way of ministerial approval, by statutory instrument. Ten cannabis-based products have been added to the regulations for prescribing by consultants for their patients.

The MCAP commenced in late 2021. To date, 49 patients have been treated under the programme. Some 34 patients have been treated for reason 1, which is spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions. Three patients are for reason 2, which is intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy despite the use of standard antiemetic regimes. Twelve patients are for reason 3, which is severe refractory epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications.

Deputy Gino Kenny

The Minister of State can understand why people are frustrated. The programme has been up and running for two years and fewer than 50 people have got it via prescription. This review is going on forever. It was first mooted a year and a half ago. My most recent correspondence with the Health Research Board indicated that this is an ongoing review and will be finished by the end of the year. The Minister of State can see the frustration and what people are feeling.

I am not sure if the Minister of State will be able to comment on the other issue, which is those who get it via licence. Not all those who have it via licence are reimbursed. In fact, there is a cohort of people in a ridiculous situation. Those who have it via licence cannot be reimbursed but the same product is on the MCAP register. Because the programme is so restrictive, however, the same people who can get it via licence cannot get onto the programme and then have to pay out of their own pockets.

It needs to be reviewed.

The concept is good but the programme needs to be expanded. If that does not happen, I cannot see a future for it. We will have the same situation whereby people who could benefit greatly from an intervention of medical cannabis will go without or have to go to the black market, and that is not acceptable. Many people have been following this, especially those who might benefit from it, and they are very frustrated by the lack of progress. Hopefully, the review will support the programme's expansion.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

I will pass on those comments to the Minister. The original 2017 HPRA report, Cannabis for Medical Use - A Scientific Review, recommended that an access programme for a five-year pilot that permits patients with the defined medical conditions to be treated with cannabis or cannabinoids prescribed by their doctors. Due to the drafting of the required legislation needed to commence the programme and sourcing of cannabis-based products, the programme did not commence until 2021. Given the passage of time, the Department of Health decided not to wait for five years of operation of the programme before carrying out a review. MCAP is undergoing an evidence synthesis review on whether evidence exists to expand the number of conditions covered by the programme. This work has been undertaken by the Health Research Board on behalf of the Department of Health. The evidence synthesis review will be peer reviewed after which a clinical group will review the evidence synthesis to ascertain whether evidence exists to expand the scope of conditions covered by the programme. This is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 or early in 2024.

Rail Network

Deputy Steven Matthews

For the record, I was asked if I wished to wait for someone from the Department of Transport to deal with this matter. It is so urgent, however, I decided to proceed. I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take it.

I am concerned with regard to how we are going to protect the east coast rail line from coastal flooding events into the future. We saw what happened in the south west this week and the events in east Cork where people lost their businesses and properties. It is only right to acknowledge the huge effort and work put in by local authorities and emergency services to assist those people and the way communities came together to help. We are going to see more of this, however. We will see greater intensity of flooding and greater frequency of these types of events. There will be situations such as exist now whereby, even though we have just come through the summer, the water table is extremely high and the ground is saturated. There is nowhere for surface water to go. When we have these fluvial events where rivers over-top, there just is nowhere for the water to go.

The east coast did not escape Storm Babet. There is an area in my constituency in Wicklow called the Murrough. It is a really well-loved coastal walking route which brings one from Wicklow up towards Newcastle. Coastal storm surges over the weekend washed away part of the pathway. We are now very close to the railway. It is probably about 5 m or 6 m from the railway at its closest point. We will see more of these storm events and we have been losing sections of the walkway for years. We know the rate at which erosion is happening. Thankfully, Irish Rail and Wicklow County Council have stepped up. Irish Rail in the main has stepped up each time and put in interim coastal protection, a kind of rock amour, to try to slow the erosion. Ultimately, however, what is required is a much longer term solution. That is the east coast railway infrastructure protection projects, ECRIPP. I was still a member of Wicklow County Council when it received its first presentation on this initiative. It is a large-scale and absolutely needed investment along the east coast. It is not just to protect Wicklow but also parts of Dublin through the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown constituency and down through Wicklow. There are a number of places where the railway and the coastline are vulnerable, but that railway is a strategic transport channel down the east coast. It runs from Belfast to Dublin to Rosslare. We know the importance of Rosslare since Brexit. We are also taking measures now to reopen the west coast with Limerick across through Waterford through Rosslare Strand and into Rosslare Europort. It is important that we protect the rail line. It is strategic.

Are plans in place? Is funding being secured? Is it a priority for the Government - I hope it is - to protect the east coast rail line? I hope the Minister of State can provide me with some answers.

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Deputy Anne Rabbitte)

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address this issue on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Coastal railway construction and maintenance has always been challenging. Throughout its history, interventions have been required to protect the east coast rail line from impacts of embankments, water coming over the line and coastal erosion. The Minister for Transport understands that Iarnród Éireann has, over many years, managed the coastal defence of the east coast Dublin to Rosslare line and monitors the coast line erosion rates at key points along the railway line on an ongoing basis. Iarnród Eireann operates a safe rail network on the east coast of Ireland. The Dublin to Wicklow section of this line is a critical part of the rail network with south side DART, Gorey commuter and Rosslare Europort intercity services operating along the scenic route.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the frequency of storm events as results of climate change. This necessitates more maintenance works to be carried out to respond to the effects of coastal erosion, wave over-topping and coastal flooding on the rail line and supporting infrastructure. In 2017, Iarnród Eireann undertook a feasibility study to assess the anticipated increase in maintenance requirement for this area resulting from climate change. The study identified several key areas between Dublin and Wicklow where strategic intervention at this time would enable existing rail services to continue to operate with minimal disruptions. The ECRIPP scheme was established to deliver the necessary enhanced coastal protection to the existing railway infrastructure in a number of key locations on the rail network. The project will mitigate against coastal erosion, extreme weather and coastal flooding to ensure rail connectivity is maintained. Iarnród Eireann will continue to undertake maintenance and remedial works in key areas along the east coast rail line.

The primary focus of this project is to address and implement protection of the existing railway and coastal infrastructure against the further effect of coastal erosion due to climate change in key locations along the railway line between Dublin and Wicklow. The project works to provide an additional benefit in that it will be protecting property, businesses and farmland while performing its primary function of protecting the railway infrastructure. The key objectives of the project include supporting the continued safe operation of the rail services; increased railway infrastructure; future resilience to climate change; provide improved and sustainable coastal protection works against predicted climate change effects such as sea level rise; coastal erosion; storm surges on the east coast railway corridor; secure the railway line for future generations; allow the long-term efficient management and maintenance of the railway corridor; and support sustainable low-carbon local, regional and international connectivity, fostering a low carbon and climate resilient society.

I trust the Deputy will see that the matter is being taken very seriously. It is also important to say that in 2020, €230 million for this programme was included in the National Development Plan 2021-2030. It will be delivered over many years.

Deputy Steven Matthews

It is reassuring to hear the commitment and the understanding in the Department of Transport of how serious the issue is and the required intervention that the Minister of State has set out. On the ongoing maintenance she mentioned, I worked on the railway for many years and I know the line very well. I know all the points where it is level and where it is operating at sea level right the way from Dublin. Looking across at Merrion Gates, you can see that the line is almost at sea level. Down from there, flooding occurred at Seapoint years ago where the waves had over-topped.

To its credit, Iarnród Éireann and its coastal defence teams have done a fantastic job on a rail line that is in a difficult environment and is sometimes difficult to access. If that rail line was being built today, it would not be put in that location. However, that was where the land was provided 150 or 200 years ago. When we talk about coastal defences, as the Deputy outlined, not only are we trying to protect that railway, we are also trying to protect people's land and property. Another aspect of it is that where that kind of coastal defence is put in, not seawall-type defences - rocks dropped at sea - it has the ability to take the power out of the waves coming in and allows the waves to deposit the sand, stone and silt they carry resulting in beach nourishment. If planned and done properly there can be an environmental benefit to it as well. All marine engineering is difficult and expensive and requires many assessments to see whether it will work and what the environmental impacts of it may be. All of those things will be taken into account by the engineers within the Department and Iarnród Éireann and by whatever expert marine consultants are procured. It is important, as the Minister of State said in her response, there is ongoing commitment to this and that it will be funded. The next stage is the design and the planning application process. I am glad to hear that this morning.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

On behalf of the Minister for Transport I thank the Deputy for his comments and his interest on this important issue. As I mentioned, Iarnród Éireann has been monitoring this east coast rail line and the effects of coastal erosion on it for many years. In noting the increase in severity and frequency of erosion impacts Iarnród Éireann has developed a series of infrastructure protection projects known as the east coast railway infrastructure protection project, ECRIPP. The project, with indicative costs of €230 million in 2020 prices, was included in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030. It is planned that it will be delivered over the coming seven years under a series of work packages for each major location including Bray Head to Greystones north beach, Newcastle to Wicklow and the Dalkey tunnel to Killiney station.

Iarnród Éireann is currently developing project concepts feasibility and options selection. During this phase the project team is undertaking physical assessment and evaluating the environmental constraints of each of the key locations. Using an objective assessment methodology, Iarnród Éireann will develop appropriate measures termed options and consider the risk associated with each option in terms of addressing coastal erosion. The project team is currently undertaking surveys that will further develop design options and solutions for key locations. Iarnród Éireann will seek to present the emerging preferred option for individual locations to the public as part of the non-statutory public consultation in spring 2024. Feedback on the proposal will be incorporated into further design developments which will culminate with submissions for the necessary statutory consents in autumn 2024. To reassure the Deputy, measures are being taken to protect and maintain the rail network generally and specifically with regard to the east coast rail line through the ECRIPP.

Childcare Services

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I appreciate the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is here. It is disappointing that the Minister is not here. The last time I raised the early years sector under Topical Issues, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, let me know that he would not be available. We then waited until he was available to submit this Topical Issue and he was able to take it himself. He is the most relevant person to hear the struggles that the early years sector is going through, particularly in my constituency, and especially the smaller providers. That said, I appreciate that Deputy Rabbitte is here to take this. It is a sector that she is passionate about and knows a lot about.

I acknowledge the reduction that has been achieved in the cost of childcare, the cost of sending children to pre-schools, play schools and Montessori schools. There were reductions of 25% last year and 25% this year. Parents appreciate this. I hear that on the ground. The feedback in terms of the cost is good because we know that the costs were very high. However, achieving these cost reductions means absolutely nothing unless settings and providers are there to provide early years education for our young children. Listening to the feedback from the providers in my constituency, I fear that will not be the case. They are struggling. While the Minister will say that very few, if any, of them have seen reductions under core funding, the point is that it does not take into account inflation, costs, overheads and so forth. The early years providers I meet are struggling. I met with over 20 of them in my home town in Clonakilty a number of weeks ago. They are desperate for help. They are struggling and frustrated. There were tears from some of the providers because they are simply struggling to make ends meet. I am not making this up. This is fact, it is what is happening on the ground. I feel it is especially applicable to rural areas, rural constituencies and the smaller providers such as the early childhood care and education, ECCE, providers, the part-time providers and community playschools.

We desperately need an intervention. One setting has already closed, one has confirmed it will be closing and more will follow. My fear is that in a place like West Cork, which is huge, geographically it is bigger than most counties, there will be significant gaps in terms of provision of early years education. Parents have to drive for half an hour or 45 minutes to get to the nearest pre-school. All of the savings in the cost of childcare and education will mean nothing because of these big gaps. I visited St. Mary's playschool in Enniskeane, which is an incredible setting and such a warm and friendly place to go to. This is not childcare. These kids are being educated. The kids were amazing, they were so outgoing. I was this tall, lanky, hairy guy coming in to say hello and they were so friendly and outgoing. That is the level of education and care these kids are getting. We need to give back and to show our appreciation not just to the business owners but to the staff. They are highly qualified and highly educated people but they feel completely under-appreciated and undervalued. They still have to sign on during the summer. That is how bad things are. I am looking for an intervention. A suggestion was put forward to go from three hours to four and a half hours for ECCE and three to four and a half hours for part time. That is when staff come in. They do not just come in and do the three hours. That is the suggestion. The budget unfortunately let them down. They feel let down. We need an emergency fund to keep these operators open and for the next budget we need a complete restructuring of the funding.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for offering the opportunity to respond. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O’Gorman, who regrettably could not be here this morning and sends his apologies.

With State funding in early learning and childcare at an all-time high and set to reach €1.109 billion in 2024, the Minister and the Government have demonstrated a strong track record in this policy area. This funding delivers two years of free pre-school education for all children through the ECCE programme. It is removing barriers to accessing and participating in the programme and wider early learning and childcare services through the access and inclusion model, AIM, and the new equal participation model. It is supporting record numbers of families to offset the cost of early learning and childcare through the national childcare scheme, with the levels of support under that scheme set to increase in 2024. Through core funding, it is investing substantially in services to achieve a number of objectives including affordability, accessibility and quality, as well as sustainability. For year 3 of the scheme, the allocation will increase by €44 million or 15%, allowing further progress to be made across these objectives. There will be €9.27 million to support a 3% increase in capacity in the sector. The allocation for administration will increase to €3.21 million. The allocation for non-staff overheads will increase by €10 million to ensure the scheme continues to keep pace with cost pressures facing services. The remaining €21.49 million will be used for other developments that will improve the financial standing of services and pave the way for further negotiations to improve the pay and conditions of those working in the sector. These developments will be informed by data from year 2 of the scheme as well as the financial returns.

To support small and sessional services, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, introduced a number of targeted supports in year 2 of core funding to improve the sustainability of these services, specifically the flat rate of up to €4,075 for sessional-only services and a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150. These measures saw the average allocation of core funding to sessional-only services increase by 32% this year. In a continued commitment to supporting these services, these targeted measures will continue to apply in the 2024-2025 programme year.

A number of safety nets are also in place to ensure all services can remain sustainable and are adequately supported. The Department oversees a case management process through which each local city and county childcare committee, CCC, and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to all services experiencing difficulties and through which the sustainability funding will be granted should the need arise. If any service has viability concerns, its representatives are encouraged to reach out to their local CCC to start availing of those supports.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate her reply. I expected that the first response would relate to the increase in funding. That was why I acknowledged the increase at the start of my contribution. It still does not help the small providers in my constituency.

The Minister of State mentioned the efforts to create a 3% increase in capacity. That is fine and it may work in Dublin. There may be increases in capacity in Dublin and other urban areas where the big chains are benefiting from core funding. However, I am telling the Minister of State that the capacity is going to reduce in places such as west Cork, where excellent small providers fall by the wayside.

I mentioned that I was in St. Mary's. One of the things on offer there is arts and crafts. It was incredible. One of the kids, whose name I think was Lily, offered me a lovely painting she had been working on. The providers have to pay for the paint, paper, pencils and all the arts and crafts. It is incredible what is on offer. That all comes out of their pockets, as does the money for the electricity, heating and insurance. They have to pay for Santa presents at Christmas. The money for Easter presents also comes out of their own pockets. They are struggling to survive.

The Minister of State mentioned the increase but it is not benefiting these ECCE providers. I know through the work she has done for children with disabilities that the Minister of State has a working relationship with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I ask her to ask him to visit me in west Cork and let us visit two or three of the settings about which I am talking. Let him see at first hand the incredible education these kids are getting and let him listen to how these providers are struggling. I am asking the Minister of State to help me with that request. I am sure the Minister would love a visit to west Cork.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I absolutely will ask the Minister. Knowing him and how he likes the coastline and everything else, I would say he will be snapping at the Deputy's heels to visit west Cork. I will take up the issue with the Minister on that basis.

The Deputy mentioned St. Mary's and the wonderful work it does, along with the 4,200 other childcare providers throughout the country. They are phenomenal in the work they do. The Deputy has raised this issue on the record previously. I will certainly bring it back to the Minister. To be very fair to him, he has at all times listened to the exact space about which the Deputy has talked, that is, in respect of ECCE providers who provide that sessional space. That is why he brought in administrative support of approximately €4,000. It is why he set the baseline for an ECCE provider who has only five or six children attending. The baseline ensures viability that means no provider has to close. He has put in the base layer of approximately €8,000. I will bring back to him all the Deputy's concerns and will relay his request for a meeting in west Cork.

Insurance Coverage

Deputy Colm Burke

Everyone in this House is aware of what has occurred in respect of flooding in the past ten days. We have a major problem in that an awful lot of premises, both commercial and private, cannot get insurance cover. I am looking for the establishment of a centralised fund for properties where the owners cannot get damage cover due to flooding. It would be similar to the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland fund. That fund means that where someone is injured as the result of an accident, he or she can claim against the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland. The injured person would obviously claim against the driver of the car but there is a centralised fund for traffic accidents, which is the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland fund. I am talking about setting up a similar fund for flood damage. As everyone pays their insurance every year, an amount would be set aside for a centralised fund.

People will ask me why we should set up a fund now when there is adequate Government funding. I reply that a day may come when there is not adequate Government funding. We are very fortunate at this time that there is money available and accessible at short notice. However, that may not always be the case. Therefore, we need to do long-term planning now. My understanding from the insurance industry is that 97% of premises have flood insurance cover. I am talking about the premises that cannot get cover. All of Cork city, for instance, cannot get flood insurance cover.

I was in the Copper Valley Vue estate in Glanmire on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Twenty-five houses there were very badly damaged. I was with a couple there. The man turned 80 on Monday and his wife is 79. They have been living in their house for 40 years and never had flood damage in their lives. The house was never previously affected by floods. Everything has been destroyed. There was 2 ft of water in the house. I was with them at 5 p.m. on Saturday and it was devastating to see the damage caused to the beds and all the furniture. One problem with a bungalow is there is no place to which to escape. In fact, they had to be rescued from the house. A neighbour brought in a tractor and trailer and that was how they got out of the house. That just shows what we now need to do. That couple will never again get flood insurance. That is the difficulty they have now.

I very much welcome what was set up yesterday and what is available. We have increased the schemes for, for instance, a married couple with a combined income of €90,000. Once people are under the limit of earnings, they are entitled to claim. Even those who are over that threshold can still claim but may get a reduced level of compensation. If the couple in question have one child, another €15,000 is available in respect of the income they are entitled to earn. If they have two children, the relevant amount is €30,000. The scheme we have set up is extremely welcome but we need to do long-term planning for this issue. I presume insurance companies will be looking at areas more carefully and it may be more difficult to get insurance to cover flood damage. I ask that my proposal is given serious consideration.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

I thank the Deputy. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I first acknowledge the enormous damage caused by the recent flood events as a result of Storm Babet and the impact it has had on families, communities and businesses. Yesterday, the Government opened two emergency business flooding schemes for small businesses, sports clubs, and community and voluntary organisations unable to secure flood insurance and affected by recent flooding in counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny and Louth. These provide humanitarian support towards the cost of returning their premises to their pre-flood condition. This support will have two stages. The first will commence immediately and will provide a contribution of up to €5,000, depending on the scale of damage incurred. It is anticipated this will meet the needs of the majority of those affected. The intention is to process payments as fast as possible.

However, if the premises have incurred significant damages above €5,000, businesses can apply for additional financial support, following an assessment by the Irish Red Cross. The total level of support available for both stages combined will be capped at €20,000.

Recognising the exceptional severity of the flooding in some areas, the Government has agreed to activate an enhanced emergency business flooding scheme that provides higher levels of financial support for businesses that have been severely affected in certain locations. This too will have a quick payment mechanism capped at €10,000. However, where a small number of applicants may have more significant damage, there is scope for further assistance, totalling up to €100,000. Also announced as part of this package are low-cost business loans through Social Finance Ireland. Complementing this, support to affected householders is available through the Department of Social Protection’s humanitarian assistance scheme. This covers funding for emergency income supports, replacement of household goods and internal property repairs.

These recent events have made clear the devastating impact flooding can have on communities across Ireland. In my constituency, as with many communities across the country, households and businesses are increasingly confronted with climate risks such as flooding and coastal flooding but also other climate events such as windstorms and fires. I understand exactly what the Deputy is saying. Coming from the banks of the Shannon in Portumna, we have had our fair share of flooding along the Shannon Callows.

Turning to the core of the Deputy’s Topical Issue, a centralised fund to compensate uninsured claimants following a flood event would not have the desired positive impact and could instead run the risk of unintended consequences, such as insurers pricing prohibitively for high-risk properties, an increase in premiums of low-to-medium flood risk properties, or even insurers deciding to withdraw from the market altogether. It is likely to have the opposite effect and would undermine the well-established and functioning market for insurance cover that ensures that flood insurance is widely available in Ireland. I am sure we all agree that we do not wish to undermine or negatively impact the current provision of such cover. The potential spillover effects of this should not be underestimated, with risks to the overall insurance competition landscape in Ireland and to jeopardising the gains made in insurance reform in recent years. We should not lose sight of the fact that the Government has developed a comprehensive whole-of-Government action plan for insurance reform, which addresses insurance issues in a structured and targeted manner. We are already holding the insurance industry to account in the provision of accessible and affordable insurance policies.

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. We are in a situation where flood relief programmes have been put in place and property owners are still having difficulty in getting flood insurance cover. The Minister of State might ask why they need it but they need it because if one is drawing down a loan or mortgage from a bank, the bank will look for that insurance. The same is true with householders and this is one of the difficulties that lending institutions will start raising. There is no guarantee. In this case the Government has responded comprehensively and fast. If there is one-off flooding where only half a dozen properties are affected then we might not get the same reaction. That is the difficulty I have with not having some kind of long-term plan in place that automatically kicks in.

It is a difficult area and I fully accept what the Minister of State is saying to me, that the insurance companies may start playing a different game if we introduce that kind of scheme. I fully understand that. We should look at it from a long-term point of view, especially where property owners have been affected by flooding previously and where all the necessary steps have been taken by them and the local authority but they still have difficulty in trying to get new insurance and then, if they are selling on property, they have huge difficulty in marketing it. If one takes my constituency office in Blackpool, for example. Less than 20 yds from my office the commercial buildings were all flooded. No one wants to invest there now, even if we get the flood relief scheme, and unfortunately the flood relief scheme in Blackpool was subject to a judicial review and we are back to consultation now again. No one will invest in those commercial properties until such time as these issues are resolved.

Deputy Anne Rabbitte

To be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, her answer is more than comprehensive. I have not read it all into the record but the Deputy has it. I will give her wrap-up statement. I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue and I reassure the House that the Government is keenly aware of ongoing climate issues affecting citizens across the country. We will continue to have a whole-of-Government approach to this matter to put in place preventative measures, including flooding defences, to protect against future extreme weather events.

On the wider work on climate insurance, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Department of Finance continue to focus on ensuring that the financial system is resilient to climate-related risk and is capable of supporting the transition to a carbon neutral future. This important policy issue is the subject of consideration at EU and international level. The Department is monitoring any proposed evidence-based solutions and will continue to review possible policy options. The Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, will continue to compel the insurance industry to be responsive and fair to policyholders impacted by recent flooding and storm-related damage.

I reiterate the Government's commitment to the two emergency business flooding schemes for small businesses, sports clubs and community and voluntary organisations unable to secure flood insurance in areas affected by recent flooding in Counties Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny and Louth. The schemes provide humanitarian support contributions towards the costs of returning small businesses and voluntary and community premises to their pre-flood conditions, including the replacement of flooding fixtures and fittings, and damaged stock, where relevant.

I agree with what the Deputy says and there is a wider conversation to be had on insurance. Living along the banks of the Shannon for years, we have been inundated with exactly what the Deputy has outlined and we did not get the support we felt we needed.