Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

No. This is a serious issue for the people concerned. I suggested the County Enterprise Boards deal with this issue given their local knowledge and so on. They have come back to me with an initial response in terms of what is happening locally. Some people have made contact and others have not. I have asked the County Enterprise Boards to reaffirm what is happening and to, if at all possible, ascertain if people are insured. I echo the call made by the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, that the insurance companies be up-front with those who are insured in terms of providing seed capital to assist them to get back on their feet. Without a doubt, a number of companies have agreed to do this, which is good.

On the CEBs, until such time as we assess need - some individuals have been in touch with me and my offices and we are working with them and their insurance companies or banks - we cannot articulate the overall Government response. The Deputy's proposal for the introduction of a national insurance scheme merits consideration.

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