Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Finance to provide an update on the work being carried out to advance the Action Plan for Insurance Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39277/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the new Action Plan for Insurance Reform is a commitment in the Programme for Government- Securing Ireland’s Future. Insurance reform, including increasing the affordability and accessibility of insurance, remains a priority for the Government.

As part of the development of this Action Plan, the Department of Finance undertook a wide-ranging public consultation which received over seventy detailed submissions from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The Action Plan will advance reform under six key themes: transparency and affordability, competitiveness and availability, legal reform, fraud, climate protection, and innovation and skills. There are also several priority actions, focused on areas where the greatest impact on cost and availability can be achieved. Additionally, the Action Plan sets out a clear description of each action, the responsible body and timeline for achievement. This provides a clear baseline for the delivery and measurement of this ambitious and complex undertaking.

To ensure that the implementation of these commitments takes a “whole-of-Government” approach, the Government has re-established the Sub-Group on Insurance Reform within the Cabinet Committee on the Economy, Trade and Competitiveness, chaired by An Tánaiste. Membership includes the Ministers for Finance; Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; Justice; the Minister for State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance; and the Minister for State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with responsibility Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. The Sub-Group will meet on a regular basis to drive this Action Plan forward and consider the progress that each Department is making in implementing the specific actions for which they have responsibility.

The Cabinet Sub-Group met to consider the draft Action Plan on 9th July, and the final Action Plan will be agreed at Government level imminently. After that I would expect that we will be in a position to publish the new plan over the summer period.