logo
FBD first half profits fall almost 50% due to storm claims

FBD first half profits fall almost 50% due to storm claims

RTÉ News​08-08-2025
Profits at FBD almost halved in the first half of the year when compared to the same period last year due to a rise in claims following Storm Éowyn.
The company reported profits before tax of €17 million, down from €32 million.
Tomás Ó Midheach, Group Chief Executive of FBD said the first half of the year was not without challenge.
"Severe weather events, including heavy snowfall in January and Storm Éowyn led to a significant surge in claims activity," he explained.
"It is during these times that our customers rely on us the most.
"As of today, circa 90% of the weather-related claims have been resolved with the remainder progressing towards finalisation," he added.
The company expects the January weather events to have a net cost of €30.6m.
Today's results show that insurance revenue increased by 11% to €235m in the first six months of the year, with gross written premium (GWP) increasing by 10% to €249m.
"Maintaining a strong capital position while delivering sustainable dividends continues to be one of our key goals," said Mr Ó Midheach.
"We are very pleased to confirm our Board have approved a special dividend of 75 cent per ordinary share.
"Our Solvency Capital ratio of 202%, which, after distributions, remains in excess of our target risk appetite, reflects the financial strength and stability of our business," he added.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, Mr Ó Midheach said the company is focused on maintaining its momentum.
"While mindful of ongoing uncertainties in the external environment, we are confident that our relationship driven approach, supported by a digitally enabled, data enriched organisation will continue to deliver long-term value for our customers and stakeholders alike," he added.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

John FitzGerald: Nuclear generators, hydrogen and battery storage are options we should explore to generate clean electricity
John FitzGerald: Nuclear generators, hydrogen and battery storage are options we should explore to generate clean electricity

Irish Times

time3 days ago

  • Irish Times

John FitzGerald: Nuclear generators, hydrogen and battery storage are options we should explore to generate clean electricity

Over the past two months, we have successfully retrofitted our house and placed our trust in a heat pump to keep us comfortable in winter. We have also added solar panels to our roof to generate some of our own electricity. In abandoning gas, we are actually not making ourselves any more dependent on a reliable electricity supply, as the gas boiler also required electricity to function. However, for the economy as a whole, as part of the journey to decarbonise our way of life, we are moving to electrify transport as well as heat. This will make Ireland all the more dependent on a reliable electricity supply. The challenge for the future is to deliver a carbon-neutral electricity system with a very high degree of reliability. READ MORE In teaching energy economics I show a segment from the film Die Hard 4, where terrorists take over the control room for the north-east US electricity system and shut down supply. This illustrates in a graphic way how reliable electricity is as a cornerstone of modern society, and the chaos that ensues when it breaks down. Here at home, we saw how Storm Éowyn's impact on electricity transmission caused widespread hardship. In the 2000s, major disruptions in electricity supply in California and Italy left huge numbers without electricity for two days. The ensuing chaos was on a Die Hard 4 scale. Earlier this year, Spain lost power for two days. It might not have happened if it had been fully integrated into a wider EU system. Reliability is not something we can take for granted – it needs to be planned for. Up to 20 years ago, Ireland's electricity system had no connections to the rest of the world, and there was always the risk that something could go wrong. While wind and solar are providing an increasing share of our electricity, in a generally calm month like this July, wind only accounted for a quarter of our electricity needs. To keep the system running when renewables were not available we had to rely on gas-fired generation and, to a more limited extent, imports of electricity from Britain. With higher solar and wind penetration, there may be some reduction in reliance on gas, but it will still be essential as a back-up to keep the lights on, our house heated and electric cars mobile. However, we need to wean ourselves off this reliance on gas by 2040. The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) has said Ireland needs a long-term strategy to ensure a clean energy supply. That may entail turning fickle renewable sources like wind and solar into a stable reliable energy supply. For example, it may be possible to use renewable electricity to generate hydrogen, and use the resulting hydrogen as a fuel to generate electricity in times of low solar or wind output. Research is needed to see if this would work at scale, and at what cost. With three lots of equipment involved – wind turbines to produce the initial electricity, machines to produce hydrogen, and hydrogen-fuelled electricity generators, it's unlikely to come cheap. Battery storage could also help smooth out fluctuations in renewable energy supply. We are currently highly dependent on interconnectors to Britain to maintain our crucial energy supply, and that is a vulnerability, particularly with malign actors Small modular nuclear generators, a technology that is currently being developed internationally, is another possible option. However, nuclear generators are always on and they would not easily fill the gaps in an intermittent renewable-based system. Further interconnection to the European grid is another option, with the construction of an interconnector to France under way. We are currently highly dependent on interconnectors to Britain to maintain our crucial energy supply, and that is a vulnerability, particularly with malign actors. Last Monday, Finland charged a Russian skipper and crew with cutting five electricity and telecommunications cables in the Baltic through dragging their ship's anchor over the sea-bed for 100 kilometres. The NESC report argues that we need investment in technical capabilities, maritime presence and surveillance to protect our undersea infrastructure. This will require investment in our defence forces. We will also need close co-operation with our neighbours, especially the UK. In March 2025, the UK and Irish governments published a joint statement announcing increased collaboration on this issue. With the construction of an electricity interconnector to France, we will also need to collaborate closely with the French government on protecting our vital energy infrastructure. It is also planned to have a ship with emergency gas supplies permanently connected to the Irish gas network. This would provide an alternative route for gas supplies in the event of a catastrophic disruption to our undersea infrastructure.

Storm  Éowyn cost insurers €301m while fossil fuels remain top power source
Storm  Éowyn cost insurers €301m while fossil fuels remain top power source

Irish Times

time5 days ago

  • Irish Times

Storm Éowyn cost insurers €301m while fossil fuels remain top power source

The insurance industry's final bill for Storm Éowyn, which struck Ireland in January, has exceeded €301 million, making it the most expensive insurance event in the country's history. Colin Gleeson reports. This might surprise you but oil and gas provided more than 80 per cent of Irish energy last year as manufacturers and transport businesses continued to rely on them for power, according to a new report. Barry O'Halloran has the details. On a similar theme, our columnist Eoin Burke-Kennedy details how Ireland went from first to last in the race to develop offshore wind energy. In our big read this week, Hugh Dooley reports on how a sharp rise in water charges has become the latest headwind to hit Irish craft brewers, threatening the viability of many microbreweries. READ MORE Consumers are increasingly going green with their personal loans, according to new figures on personal lending from the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI). Hugh Dooley reports. From pharma to food, Cliff Taylor examines the known unknowns of Trump's EU tariffs deal. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times article 1184 w It can be lonely at the top for chief executives. Margaret Ward looks at ways they can cope with the stresses of leadership once they reach the corner office. Greencore's shares soared in July on news that the company was enjoying strong trading and having a better year than previously forecast. As a result, its chief executive Dalton Philips has been chosen as The Irish Times Business Person of the Month for July, an award run in association with Bank of Ireland. Stay up to date with all our business news: sign up to our Business Today daily email news digest. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store