As sea levels rise and extreme floods become more frequent, increasing numbers of Irish homeowners are struggling to secure insurance for their properties.
A new Irish Times investigation highlights the plight ‘the uninsurables’ – the one in 20 houses struggling to access flood insurance and those who are paying exceptionally high rates of cover.
These are now the main victims of the “flood protection gap” – not knowing when the next flood might happen and the damage it will bring.
If this gap remains open, more homeowners won’t get cover and will be forced to confront the consequences of a warming world on their doorsteps, says Irish Times environment and science editor Kevin O’Sullivan, who joins today’s In The News podcast.
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Also on today’s episode, Midleton resident Caroline Leahy recalls the “devastating” impact the Storm Babet floods had on her home.
Properties in the Tír Cluain estate where Leahy lives were destroyed when a month’s worth of rain fell in less than 24 hours in October 2023, causing the Owenacurra river to break its banks. Residents in the estate, and in nearby Midleton, are now “constantly checking the weather, constantly checking the river, it’s endless”, says Leahy.
“Another flood like that is difference between us having a home and not having a home, being homeless. It’s not something that never leaves your mind, it’s there all the time.”
What does the future hold for the tens of thousands of homeowners across the country struggling to secure flood cover for their home?
What is the Government doing to support these people and how is the insurance sector preparing for future extreme weather events?
Today, on In The News, Ireland’s uninsurable houses. What’s it like to live in one and how can they be protected into the future?
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
