Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have two petitions for consideration today. Petition No. 36 of 2021, "Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings" is under the name of Ms Katie McNelis. This petition relates to the difficulties people have in getting insurance for residential and commercial thatched properties. The secretariat corresponded with the Central Bank of Ireland on behalf of the petitioner in October 2021. The Central Bank responded in March 2022 and its response was forwarded to Ms McNelis. A copy of the petition and the correspondence was also forwarded to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman for comment and that office responded in April. This response was forwarded to the petitioner. The secretariat has been in contact with the petitioner since and in June, Ms McNelis sent in a copy of the letter from the thatched property insurance action group, TPIAG, to the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform, Deputy Noonan, to the secretariat.

The committee recommends that the petition and all associated correspondence including a copy of the letter from the TPIAG be sent for comment to the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance, Deputy Fleming; to the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform, Deputy Noonan, and to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, and that the petition be brought before the committee again in the autumn if time allows. Do members have any views?