Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will check my notes, but I am confident that we have raised thatched buildings along with every other pinch point that we had at the time with every insurance company operating in the market that I have ever met. Some of those matters have since been resolved. This morning, my officials met a new potential entrant in the market. That is commercially sensitive because the company has not made that decision. Just this week, I met people from an insurer which is in the market and which covers thatched buildings. I probed them on the conditions under which they are offering it and continue to offer it. I went through the report by the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. I asked about the impact of maintaining existing cover, the potential impact on price and the opportunity to transfer cover to a new owner. I went through their risk appetite and the opportunity extend to other buildings that were thatched.

In every engagement, I have raised the pinch point areas as they are at that time. Even in the time that I have been Minister of State since last Christmas, that has reduced somewhat. I raise it in every single interaction I can to try to assess risk appetite. I might add that if I do not have the intelligence to do it on the day, my officials are sure to step in and make sure it is raised in every meeting.