Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason Sustainable Energy Ireland are insisting on contractors having insurance indemnity of €5 million; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many contractors wishing to register with SEI have insurance indemnity of €1.5 million and are being refused work by SEI on this basis; if he will review and remove this restrictive requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24790/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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In order to ensure the highest quality and safety standards of work for all homeowners in receipt of grants under the Home Energy Saving Scheme, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) has set a number of conditions which contractors must meet, in order to be registered to carry out works under the Scheme. These conditions include a requirement to carry employers' liability insurance of €13 million and public/products Liability (PL) insurance of €6.5 million.

I am informed by SEI that the specified level of employers' liability insurance is the minimum level available in the Irish market, while the specified level of public/product liability insurance is the same as required of electricians to register with the Register of Electrical Contractors in Ireland (RECI). SEI set these requirements on the advice of its insurance brokers and after consultation with stakeholders, including the Construction Industry Federation. To date, over two thousand contractors have successfully registered with the Scheme.