Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is a shocking response from the Tánaiste who has ministerial responsibility for enterprise. The Tánaiste said that I am trying mislead businesses that I am on their side. I have met the Central Bank privately and discussed with them the need for an examination of this issue similar to the tracker mortgage examination. I have provided it with documentation in regard to how insurance companies are wriggling out of policies. The Central Bank asked for that documentation. There is nothing preventing us as Members of the Oireachtas, or the Tánaiste as Minister, sharing the same type of information and supporting my request. The Central Bank will makes its own decision. The Tánaiste should not try to wriggle out of the situation. The reality is he led the Government last year. I put this case to him and he washed his hands of it. He did nothing. I will give an example. A local hairdresser in Donegal has a policy with QBE.

Under the terms, she is covered for interruption or interference of the business in consequence of the following event: an occurrence of a notifiable disease within a radius of 25 miles of the premises. That is covered in the policy but a local business that employs a number of people in a local community does not have the resources to fight it through the courts.

That is why we in this House need to make a united call for the Central Bank to intervene now, as has happened across the water, to ensure that its consumer protection role, which has been gifted to it by the Houses of the Oireachtas, is enacted. I would appreciate if the Tánaiste, instead of criticising me and what I am trying to do on behalf of these businesses, would maybe make a stand on behalf of the businesses and support me in my call. I have written to him, as he requested me to do, saying what needs to be done.

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