Almost 60,000 homes across Ireland are at significant risk from flooding due to climate change, a new report claims.

Clare and Louth are deemed to be most exposed to damage from a major deluge while Longford is the least likely to be affected by flooding, according to the study.

The two counties scored highest because they are at risk of both coastal and river flooding, bringing a larger amount of homes into deluge zones. Feargal O’Neill, CEO at Gamma, the company that carried out the research, said: “Increased flood risk is perhaps the biggest challenge from climate change for Ireland.

“Analysis like this is of significant value to home owners, local authorities, planners and insurance companies, who require detailed assessment of flood-risk exposure, as we look to the infrastructure being built now to cater for increases in flood risk.”

Dublin figures highest on the list for the potential damage to the most homes at 13,000.

This is more than 3pc of residential housing.

The company said it used a “detailed 3D-flood model” combined with the Eircode database to establish the devastation to housing that could be caused by major flooding.

Cork ranked second on the list for flooding risk to homes with the company estimating 6,722 homes are at risk.

Some 5,273 dwellings were deemed in jeopardy in Clare, the company said.

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