Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. I know his commitment and dedication to the whole issue of insurance. I agree with all that Senator Casey has said. While some people will shop around, others do not. I am chairperson of a community centre in Limerick. Our insurance went up by more than €10,000 this year. We are a not-for-profit organisation in the voluntary and community sector; any moneys that are made go back into the community centre. They are working on delivery to the community. It is a massive increase for an organisation like that. I welcome all the work the Minister of State and his officials have been involved in. We are going in the right direction. The Minister of State indicated that people are being stung for the fact that they were with the same insurance company all the time. That is not right, either. People should get credit for how long they stay loyal to a business. That happens in many organisations. It needs to be brought in to the insurance sector. The Minister of State is committed to that.

While some small businesses were covered during the Covid period, some were not. If a claim comes in against a small business now, the small business is no longer in control most of the time in respect of what happens in the courts. A settlement is made in a lot of cases. Sometimes the business owner receives a letter telling him the matter is no longer going to court as it has been settled. We need to look at the bigger picture. The Minister of State is going in the right direction. Fine Gael fully supports what he is doing and I am looking forward to working with him on delivery of this all-important legislation. It is very protective towards businesses, and businesses deserve certainty.

We had a debate here earlier on sick pay for employees, that whole assurance for employees and the employers. In this case, we need to give assurance to people in terms of insurance. People need to be able to get affordable insurance. I refer to the number of accidents that have been reported where people did not have insurance. Those things need to be looked at. We need to be able to provide insurance at a reasonable rate so that everybody will make sure to have their insurance in place. This legislation is most important for businesses and employers.