| Chief Executive of the Irish Insurance Federation, | | | | commercial property owners following damage |
| Martin Kemp, has called for a concerted national | | | | sustained from burst pipes during the big freeze in |
| approach to help to address flood risk issues such as | | | | January. This is on top of nearly 750,000 already |
| planning and development improvements, investment in | | | | claimed in the county for damage suffered from |
| flood defense and the effective management of | | | | flooding during November. |
| watercourses and drainage. | | | | The freezing conditions in January lead to many |
| His comments come in the wake of figures published | | | | businesses and homes suffering burst pipes throughout |
| by the Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) that showed in | | | | County Wexford, resulting in flood damages in many |
| Ireland the extreme weather events that occurred in | | | | cases. |
| November 2009 and January 2010 had resulted in | | | | The public water supply for Wexford County Council |
| property insurance claims totaling 541 million. This | | | | was extremely short for a period, with rationing |
| figure is more than the combined total costs for all | | | | introduced. The number of household insurance claims |
| previous weather events during the past decade of | | | | made in the county during January was 514, with |
| 358 million. | | | | commercial claims standing at 105. |
| Mr. Kemp said that the insured cost of the two severe | | | | Estimations are that the overall pay out for household |
| weather events was 'very stark' and implications for | | | | damage could reach 4,032,000, with the cost of |
| the Irish insurance sector may be felt, but he was | | | | commercial property damage standing at 1,482,000. |
| confident in the resilience of insurance companies to | | | | This made for a combined total for the month of |
| meet the needs of their customers during a 'very | | | | 5,514,000. |
| traumatic time for many people'. | | | | Although November's flooding did not affect County |
| He said that consequences for the future in relation to | | | | Wexford as badly as many other areas on the West |
| weather-related claims might be unavoidable saying, | | | | coast of Ireland, household and commercial claims |
| "With the increasing frequency and severity of | | | | have still reached 754,000. |
| extreme weather conditions, questions inevitably arise | | | | During the 9 November to 30 November, the number |
| as to the future cost and even insurability of some | | | | of claims for household flooding stood at 90, with 26 |
| risks, particularly flood risk in some parts of the | | | | claims for flooding damage to commercial properties. |
| country". | | | | According to the IIF the household total stood at |
| In County Wexford, insurance firms are set to pay out | | | | 444,000, while the commercial total was 10,000. |
| an incredible 5.5 million to homeowners and | | | | |