Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity talk about this very important matter. The claim culture, awards by judges and no competition in the market certainly are combining to make insurance more costly than it should be. Our culture is being threatened and many festivals and events are being cancelled because they cannot afford the cost of insurance. Some horse hunts did not operate last winter because they could not get any quote. There was only one company doing it and it would not quote at all. Places like Castleisland had problems with insurance for the races last week. Hopefully they will get going in a couple of weeks' time. Many festivals are threatened and this is threatening our culture.

Why is the cost of VHI cover and voluntary health insurance so expensive? If a person goes into any hospital perhaps the cost for a day stay is €75 or €80. If, however, they ask if the person has VHI or that kind of health cover, then the cost is more than €800. Obviously, this is having an adverse effect on the poor people who are trying to provide health cover for themselves. This is what is coming out of it.

We miss Seán Quinn being out of the market. We just do not have enough competition. Hotels are being asked to pay premiums from €62,000 to €120,000. Consider also the young people trying to get car insurance who are being quoted in excess of €3,000. I am a firm believer that youth should get a chance. Until they blot their copybook they should get a fair chance to go on the road. These quotes are on top of all the other costs they must pay to attain their driver's licence, including driver instructor fees and the price of the licence and all of that. With regard to community and voluntary organisations, 40% of them have said that their future is threatened and 90% of the survey respondents said that the Government is not doing enough.

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