Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have heard about the different measures that are being taken, announced and re-announced and discussed at various committees. At the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach we had the privilege of meeting Ms Linda Murray who operates a play centre. It is one of many which, despite no claims, now face huge increases in their premiums. There is market failure or distortion whereby insurance companies are coming out of the blue and imposing enormous premium increases on people. They have been doing this with car insurance for young people and are now doing it on a widespread basis to businesses.

Effectively it is an attack on our cultural and family life as well as business life because for instance play centres, venues, pubs, music and sports events, all of the things that we enjoy are coming under attack and possible closure in the case of small venues because of the extraordinary premiums being charged to business operators.

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