The Alliance for Insurance Reform has called on teams negotiating the new programme for government to ensure insurance reform gets the priority necessary to urgently resolve the insurance crisis.
As the Alliance posted a series of videos on social media this morning demanding urgent action, Linda Murray, owner of Huckleberry’s Den in Navan and director of the Alliance said “Recent suggestions that 20,000 jobs are at risk in 2020 are not unrealistic given the number of sectors facing unsustainable premium costs or loss of cover entirely. Insurance reform is beyond urgent at this stage.”
Ivan Cooper, Director of Public Policy at The Wheel and director of the Alliance said ”The voluntary and community sectors will suffer irreparable damage this year if their situation is not addressed. Insurance is solvable, but only with political will, a sense of urgency and a clear plan of action”.
Eoin McCambridge, Managing Director of McCambridge’s of Galway and director of the Alliance said “The new Programme for Government must commit the incoming Government to:
- Cutting unfair general damages to reflect international norms and ensure that legitimate minor injuries attract modest damages
- Urgently reviewing and re-balancing the ‘common duty of care’ so that occupiers are only required to take a duty of care that is reasonable, practical and proportionate
- Fully resourcing a dedicated Garda Insurance Fraud Unit
- Insisting on insurers committing to a schedule of reductions “
Finally Peter Boland, director of the Alliance said “The political parties have all made commitments on insurance reform in their manifestos. But these are critical days as the parties who will form the next Government are setting out their negotiating positions. The Alliance’s position is that insurance reform must be a top priority in all discussions.
“The incoming government must establish a Cabinet committee chaired by An Taoiseach to coordinate action and ensure the necessary reforms are put in place urgently; with An Taoiseach reporting to the Dáil on a monthly basis on progress. Action to resolve this 5-year long crisis has been way too slow so far and nothing short of urgent action will resolve the situation for thousands of organisations around the country.”
