Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Air Bound Trampoline Park in Dundalk is the latest revolution in sport and fitness for both children and adults. It is made up of hundreds of square metres of interlocking trampolines covering the floor space and going up the walls. This is a big attraction in Dundalk. It is a great way for families to come together and have fun while exercising. It also caters for children who have special needs. In this era of computers and play stations it is vital that organisations that promote exercise such as Air Bound Trampoline Park are supported by the Government.

Last night, Air Bound Trampoline Park announced via its Facebook page that two years after opening its doors, it must close on Tuesday next, 12 December, just before Christmas. This will affect the 15 members of staff and their families because they will now be unemployed. The reason is that the trampoline park simply cannot get insurance. There are ten insurance claims against the park in the past two years, seven of which arise from a jump tower which was in place in the company's first year of business. It has been closed since last February.

I received a huge volume of phone calls from constituents in Dundalk asking me to help Air Bound. This morning I called to Air Bound to find that the management and staff are simply gutted that it has come to this. They have been in contact with the insurance company for over three months, trying to come to an arrangement, and now it will not even offer them a quote.

I also received a phone call this morning from a parent who was very upset that Air Bound was due to close. Her daughter has dyspraxia and requires physiotherapy. She informed me that her daughter attends Air Bound three times per week. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings it offers a class for one hour, called fit camp, which is for all children, including those with special needs. On Friday evenings it has a class for children with autism and dyspraxia only. She told me that the service it offers has resulted in her daughter requiring less physiotherapy, and her social and sensory skills are improving, along with her overall health and fitness. She told me that the management and staff bend over backwards in assisting children with special needs and that it is affordable.

It is no secret that I am a fan of fitness and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle - "your health is your wealth". I go to Air Bound most Saturday mornings with my two grandchildren. On a Saturday morning it offers what is called a toddler morning, which is for children under the age of five only. It has a great community spirit and offers a great chance for young children to interact with one another while having fun and exercising. Childhood obesity is currently a major problem in Ireland and it is vital that, as a Government, we promote heath and exercise for children. If this place is to close, it is the children who will lose out.

When I visited Air Bound today, I was very annoyed to be informed that it has been advised that if the trampoline park was to relocate to Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, it would receive insurance. I could not believe this was happening. This is a family business run by Gayle Maguire and her family, with a great staff, doing fantastic work for children with disabilities and not making it hard on their pockets. Thankfully, just this afternoon, with the help of Douglas Howell of Cullen Insurances in Newport, County Tipperary, we have secured insurance for Air Bound Trampoline Park. Fifteen jobs are safe as Air Bound is not closing, which is great news.

The issue is that it is becoming nearly impossible to secure public liability insurance in Ireland. This is due to the lack of competition in the South of Ireland, which is not like the North. There seems to be a very narrow risk appetite in the South. The price differentials among insurers show that many insurers are offering different prices for different channels. This is confusing people and putting customers at a major disadvantage. Brokers in the North are providing choice and advice, whereas, in the South, there is a big push by insurers to go direct, which takes out the advice and makes it easier for insurers to turn down claims. Commercial business cannot be written in the South, which is resulting in a lot of Irish business now going to the UK, such as motor fleets.

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