Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

7 o’clock

I point out to Deputy Cowen that the moneys for various areas announced since the budget will be dealt with in the Revised Estimates next year. That is the way it happens every year. I am unsure whether the Deputy has met the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, since the budget arithmetic was concluded. Those are the numbers. The Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Health this year is €338 million. Last year, it was €655 million. In total, there was €1.35 billion in Supplementary Estimates last year, whereas this year there is €600 million.

Insurance is a major issue with which I am dealing. I have been in this job for almost two and a half years. On no occasion has any representative of the childcare sector come to me on insurance issues in the sector. Similarly, the cost of insurance working group, which was established almost a year before I was appointed, has not been contacted on the matter. For almost four years, no issue was raised regarding insurance in the childcare sector. There is currently such an issue. There are two brokers operating in the sector. One of them has lost its underwriter for the sector. The other broker is operating for the sector with an Irish-based insurance company with which there is no issue. It is open for business and has additional capacity to cater for the childcare sector.

It is clear that if there is a claim against a business, its premium will increase substantially the following year. If there are multiple claims against a business, many insurance companies will not offer it insurance. That is the case in almost every sector. In too many areas, whether sporting organisations, childcare or elsewhere, there is insufficient governance, oversight or structures in place for the overall sector. We must ensure that those elements are put in place because if that is done, insurance companies will be able to see that premises or businesses are being run correctly. This is not the right forum for a conversation on insurance.

I fully accept Deputy Burton's bona fides in raising the matter. I am happy to present on insurance to the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, of which she is a member. Last week, the Law Reform Commission, LRC, published its report on insurance, while the report of the Central Bank was published this week. The LRC will have received submissions by the end of January regarding the potential for the House to cap the level of awards. The Judicial Council Act was commenced today and is now fully operational. There will be a significant amount of work in that space.

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