A Carlow family has been left unable to sell their home due to difficulties securing flood insurance for potential buyers.
The house has never flooded in 40 years, but a review of nearby OPW flood maps is reportedly affecting mortgage approvals.
The issue was raised in the Dáil by Fine Gael TD Catherine Callaghan where she called for a solution .
“This lovely family home has actually gone sale agreed twice, and on both occasions, the sale has fallen through because of this issue. Now, at a time when the government is working really hard to build more homes – as we’ve seen, almost 27,000 homes completed in the first nine months of this year – we also need to make sure that people can buy and sell the homes that we already have.
“Minister, I’m asking you, can you speak to the relevant ministers and ask them to work with the OPW, with insurance companies and mortgage lenders to find a practical solution for families?”
Minister Peter Burke responded to the Carlow Kilkenny TD, saying, “I really acknowledge the work that Deputy Callaghan is doing in this regard, and particularly the stress that homeowners do experience when they’re faced with these challenges in relation to either selling their property or indeed getting insurance and valuable public services, for their homes. So I’ll absolutely raise that with the OPW.”
