Householders who suffered damage in the Christmas storms are advised to conduct emergency repairs as quickly as possible, rather than risk further damage during the bad weather ahead. Ms Patricia Byron, manager of the loss-adjusting firm McLarens Ireland, says home-owners should not delay repairs. Their right to claim under their insurance policy will not be affected, she said.
"The golden rule is to get emergency repairs done as soon as possible, rather than waiting unduly for an assessment to be carried out." Ms Byron said insurance company staff and the loss adjusters who carry out estimates have been working flat out since Christmas, but because of the extent of the damage some delays in assessments were inevitable.
One leading insurance company said it had received four times as many claims last Monday as in a whole week before Christmas, she said. Most damage was suffered in the area south-west of a line from Galway to Wexford. Trees have fallen on church towers, roofs have been lifted and glass-houses and conservatories blown away.
Ms Byron acknowledged that building contractors were over-stretched. "One option is to get them to carry out emergency repairs, and to give an estimate for the full job. This allows them to move on to the next job, before returning to complete the work at a later date." She appealed to builders and suppliers who were still on holiday to return to work as soon as possible.
Householders were also advised to contact their insurers' telephone helplines. Many of these provide contact details for approved contractors.
If people still cannot get hold of a contractor, they are free to undertake their own emergency repairs if they wish, without infringing their right to claim. They should, however, retain all receipts.
