Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue I previously raised with the Tánaiste before the summer, and which has gotten worse since we last met. I refer to the issue of insurance premiums, and the fact that certain sectors in Irish society, particularly the leisure, bouncy castle and paintballing sectors, cannot get insurance anywhere in Ireland or even in Britain, and are now closing down one by one. Two adventure centres have closed down in Meath, as has a swimming pool in Kildare, a nightclub in Cork, and some bouncy castle operators. Such businesses are closing down day in, day out, and these are only the ones hitting the headlines. Companies are closing every single day as a result of hikes in insurance premiums or because no insurance company in Ireland or in Britain is willing to insure them. The Government needs to get a grip on this, and should meet urgently with Insurance Ireland for some straight, tough talking.

We cannot allow these jobs to go. We cannot allow the tourism product that we and these companies have built up over many decades to be wiped out as a result of an industry that is unwilling to quote them, or that will quote them four times what they were quoted last year. This is a crisis that affects the very fabric of Irish society. As I said to the Minister at a committee last week, unless this is dealt with it is possible that a child will never experience a bouncy castle on the island of Ireland ever again, because no company in Ireland or in Britain is willing to insure bouncy castle operators. That is just one example. Will the Tánaiste and his Government take action on this and hold urgent meetings with Insurance Ireland in order to give some succour to companies at their wits' end? They know their policies run out in November, December, or January, and when that happens, they will be out of their jobs and their companies will have to fold.

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