Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On 12 December, Air Bound, a trampoline park in Dundalk, will close. The reason the park will close is that it cannot get insurance. It is not the owners' fault. Nobody wants to give them insurance. They wants to pay for their insurance. They have been there for a number of years. What will I tell the parents contacting me who have autistic children and children with disabilities? Adults also use it. The trampoline park opened a couple of weeks ago for one adult. It made no money. This is not all about money. These businesses are there to look after people with disabilities. I am pleading with the Taoiseach. I will give him the details. How can a company that pays its way not get insurance? I cannot understand it. It has tried everything.

In fairness, several years ago the company could not get insured because the premium increased three or four times. Luckily enough, I contacted a friend of mine with an insurance company in County Tipperary who did us a favour and it got insurance. I am pleading with the Taoiseach. This is only the start of it. Where will these people with disabilities go? It is affordable. The company works with children. When the children are in school, it opens four days a week and when they are off school, it opens seven days a week. Almost everybody in the Chamber has somebody with a disability or knows someone who is autistic. They have nowhere to go. This is the only bit of peace and quiet they get. I am pleading with the Taoiseach on behalf of Air Bound in Dundalk. Will the Taoiseach please help to keep it open? 12 December is a very important day for children with disabilities in Dundalk. I am sure there are also cases in other parts of the country. Will the Taoiseach please help to get the likes of Air Bound and other such companies insured?

See this speech in context