Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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288. To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to concerns related to the provision of travel insurance for people over 70 years of age (details supplied); the actions he will take to engage with this sector to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14130/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is important to note that neither I as Minister for Finance, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can intervene in the provision or pricing of insurance products. This position is reinforced by the EU framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive). Consequently, I am not in a position to direct insurance companies to extend coverage beyond the terms specified in their policies.

Officials from my Department have engaged with Insurance Ireland on this issue. Insurance Ireland have advised that there is no standard approach to travel insurance and that conditions can vary between providers. Insurers are obliged to assess the risk involved as part of any application for insurance, which will be specific to the individual applicant. Furthermore, the availability of cover can depend on a number of factors including age, and also the health of the person insured, the activities undertaken while on holiday, and the frequency of travel for annual policies. Travel policies are very detailed and policy wordings vary significantly in term of scope of cover, exclusion limits and excesses.

With this in mind, it is important for consumers to compare the policies being offered by a number of providers to ascertain if they can get a better customer-focused deal by engaging with a wider range of providers.

Insurance Ireland has detailed advice around insurance on its consumer website, www.understandinginsurance.ie. They also operate an Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, complaints or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance, which can be accessed at feedback@insuranceireland.eu. Likewise, Brokers Ireland provides assistance to customers who are experiencing insurance accessibility issues, and can be contacted at insurancequeries@brokersireland.ie.