Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have had this in the childcare sector. The fee is not significant. There is a set of guidelines to reduce fire risk in the childcare sector. What happens in the group schemes that have worked in other areas is that, through an association or group, there is an inspection of each property to ensure it has the measures in place. Such an inspection may take place once a year, and it is not a major inspection. It happens in the childcare sector. The premises not only needs to have an insurance policy, it also needs to be certified as having been visited by an independent person once a year to ensure it is happening. That gives an element of comfort to the insurance company because it provides an assurance that the house or other property has been checked out. As such, the company does not have to do that on a case-by-case basis. That has happened in respect of childcare centres. There is an annual inspection independent of the owners and insurance companies. That gives confidence to everybody involved that what people say they have done has been done. The cost of that is quite small, relative to the cost of insurance. That would probably be a natural follow-on in terms of trying to put a group scheme together. It would provide verification for the insurance company that the standards and improvements that have been suggested are actually happening.