Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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627. To ask the Minister for Finance the immediate measures he is taking to ensure that all thatched properties in the State can obtain sufficient insurance; the measures he has taken to work with the insurance companies to ensure that they are not forcing customers to choose between removing thatch roofs or insure their properties, which is currently the case owning to the rebuild costs limit (details supplied); if he will ensure that these properties are protected as an important element of our national heritage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40984/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Finance, neither I nor the Central Bank of Ireland can interfere with the provision or pricing of insurance products due to the EU Solvency II Directive.

Improving the cost and supply of insurance remains a priority for this Government, who have recently published a new Action Plan for Insurance Reform. The new Action Plan builds on the progress of the 2020 Action Plan and sets out a comprehensive series of targeted measures to further the insurance reform agenda under six key themes: transparency and affordability, competitiveness and availability, legal reform, fraud, climate protection, and innovation and skills. The new Plan includes a comprehensive series of targeted actions aimed at improving affordability, availability and transparency across the insurance sector, including niche sectors of the market.

In relation to thatched buildings, it is important to note that thatch insurance is an extremely complex issue, as it is linked with how insurance companies’ profile and underwrite risk. It is a subject that has been discussed frequently with the major insurance companies and brokers in the State, who have indicated that their major concern regarding thatched properties is the risk of fire.

To address this, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (D/HLGH) issued fire safety guidelines in 2023 to thatched property owners and created an inspection scheme to offer further guidance on risk mitigation. Data gathered by that department suggests that these actions are having an effect, with the number of reported fires in thatch properties falling from an average of fourteen fires a year from 2017-2022 to five in the period September 2023 to September 2024, indicating a greater understanding of fire risk and safety in thatched properties on the part of owners and occupiers of thatch properties. Officials from my Department are ensuring that this information is being disseminated to the insurance industry and they, along with Ministers, will continue to engage with insurance companies and brokers to see what solutions they can offer to this niche aspect of the Irish insurance market.

On the matter of your constituent’s insurance provider, I cannot intervene in individual cases. Notwithstanding this, if a consumer is dissatisfied with how an insurer has handled their application or feels that the provider is not adhering to Central Bank regulations, they can first file a complaint with the company in question. If the response is unsatisfactory and the consumer is unable to resolve the complaint, the complaint can then be referred to the FSPO, which can be contacted at or (01) . The FSPO provides its service free to complainants and there is no cost for bringing a complaint to the FSPO.

In conclusion, seeking to secure a more sustainable and competitive market through deepening and widening the supply of insurance in Ireland remains a key priority for this Government and it remains focused on ensuring that the benefits arising from the entire reform programme are realised, for insurance consumers across the country.