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“Insurance reform is beyond urgent at this stage”

The Alliance for Insurance Reform has called on teams negotiating the new programme for government to ensure that insurance reform gets the priority necessary to urgently resolve the current insurance crisis.

 

"The Alliance’s position is that insurance reform must be a top priority in all discussions."

“The Alliance’s position is that insurance reform must be a top priority in all discussions.”

 The Alliance has posted a series of videos on social media demanding urgent action.

“Recent suggestions that 20,000 jobs are at risk in 2020 are not unrealistic given the number of sectors facing unsustainable premium costs or loss of cover entirely,” said Linda Murray, a director of the Alliance and owner of Huckleberry’s Den in Navan, “Insurance reform is beyond urgent at this stage.”

Another Alliance Director Ivan Cooper, Director of Public Policy at The Wheel, added, “The voluntary and community sectors will suffer irreparable damage this year if their situation is not addressed. Insurance is solvable, but only with political will, a sense of urgency and a clear plan of action”.

Eoin McCambridge, Managing Director of McCambridge’s of Galway and also a director of the Alliance, added, “The new Programme for Government must commit the incoming Government to:

 

  • cutting unfair general damages to reflect international norms and ensure that legitimate minor injuries attract modest damages
  • urgently reviewing and re-balancing the ‘common duty of care’ so that occupiers are only required to take a duty of care that is reasonable, practical and proportionate
  • fully resourcing a dedicated Garda Insurance Fraud Unit
  • insisting on insurers committing to a schedule of reductions “

 

Alliance Director Peter Boland summarised: “The political parties have all made commitments on insurance reform in their manifestos. But these are critical days as the parties who will form the next Government are setting out their negotiating positions. The Alliance’s position is that insurance reform must be a top priority in all discussions.

“The incoming government must establish a Cabinet committee chaired by An Taoiseach to coordinate action and ensure the necessary reforms are put in place urgently with An Taoiseach reporting to the Dáil on a monthly basis on progress. Action to resolve this five-year long crisis has been way too slow so far and nothing short of urgent action will resolve the situation for thousands of organisations around the country.”

At a meeting of the Alliance’s member organisations recently

AIR concluded that the insurance crisis is accelerating.

“There’s no point in developing comprehensive policies on childcare, tourism, the environment, the SME sector, nursing homes, childhood development, obesity, sport, arts and culture, rural development, volunteering or charities if they cannot be followed through on the ground because of insurance,” pointed out Peter Boland.

 

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