Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The complaint from motorists, businesses, charities and sports clubs is that their insurance costs are rising. Deputy Kelleher is bang on the button with the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2018. The public is frustrated by the Government's slow response in respect of this issue. While I acknowledge that certain actions have been taken, the reality is that addressing this needs to be speeded up and we need to get results.

I have raised before in this Chamber the example of a local family hotel in my constituency. Several years ago, its public liability insurance cost €12,500. When it was reassessed, it increased to €21,000. It is now at €50,000 because the hotel had two small claims made against it. Only last night, a family member told me that they will not be able to continue in business if this continues. There is not a realisation as to how many groups and businesses are on the brink because of massive insurance costs.

The organising committee of one of the country's most famous and oldest fairs, the Ballinasloe horse fair, had to have several meetings this year to see if it could obtain insurance cover. Its insurance this year to cover a few days came to a whopping €14,000. This is a voluntary group in Ballinasloe town that has been organising the fair for many years. It had asked public representatives to help but there was little we could do. To fork out €14,000, before even covering other costs, is a high price for a community group.

GAA clubs and other voluntary groups are telling us that their insurance costs have increased. Many involved are asking whether, in light of rising insurance costs, their community groups can remain in existence. Festivals add to the economy. If we did not have them in many counties, local economic activity would be reduced. The organising committees involved are asking serious questions regarding what they can do about rising insurance costs.

The Government seems to roll over on certain issues and is moving slowly. We must leap into action, get decisions quickly and deal with these fraudsters and others who, without question, have got away with unacceptable behaviour for many years. The European Commission is continuing its investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the Irish insurance market. That inquiry has been going on for some time now. Surely some results should be coming from that. We hope that in the near future we will get those results.

I commend the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2018 to the house. I hope we can move forward in bringing reductions to insurance costs to the many groups and organisations to which I have referred.

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