Alliance for Insurance Reform

Lobbying Organisation Alliance for Insurance Reform

Date published 20 May, 2021

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Banking and Financial Institutions

Period 1 Jan, 2021 to 30 Apr, 2021

Specific Details Seeking policy decisions that will reduce the cost of insurance for our members and Irish society as a whole and keep them that way.

Intended results Recalibrate general damages guidelines to reflect international norms and norms already established by the Court of Appeal Establishment of the Garda Insurance Fraud Unit Redefine and re-balance the “common duty of care” to require the occupier to take a duty of care that is reasonable, practical and proportionate . Publication of a schedule of forecast reductions in insurance costs for planned reforms. The urgent sourcing of cover for sectors currently unable to source affordable cover via the Insurance Competition Office The payment by insurers of valid Covid-19 related business interruption claims Adoption by insurers of appropriate forbearance measures in the light of Covid-19 Reform of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Increase in the limit for SMEs allowed to make a complaint to the FSPO from €3m turnover to €10m The establishment of a State-controlled fraud database The capping of legal fees

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Peter Boland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Contact Ministers and TDs regarding our unhappiness with new judicial guidelines and asking that the Government now intervene

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Bulk emails re the need for urgent insurance reform via the intended results at Section 2.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (6-10)

All regarding the intended results at Section 2

Meeting (6-10)

All regarding the intended results at Section 2. All virtual.

Social Media (51-100)

Tagging of TDs and Senators on Twitter posts

Letter (21-30)

All regarding the intended results at Section 2 and in particular the Judicial Guidelines on personal injury damages announced on March 6th

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Pearse Doherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Niall McNelis Councillor (Galway City Council)

Michael McGrath Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice)

Sean Fleming Minister of State (Department of Finance)

Patrick Cluskey Special Adviser (Department of Justice)

Denis Naughten TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peadar Tóibín TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Damien English Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

John Newman Assistant Secretary (Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation)

Angela Flanagan Special Adviser (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Matthew Lynch Special Adviser (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Michael J. McGrath Assistant Secretary (Department of Finance)

Aidan O'Connor Special Adviser (Department of Finance)

Roderic O'Gorman Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Eamon Ryan Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Catherine Martin Minister (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Darragh O'Brien Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Education)

Simon Harris Minister (Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Social Protection)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Charlie McConalogue Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Jack Chambers Minister of State (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Hildegarde Naughton Minister of State (Department of Transport)

Josepha Madigan Minister of State (Department of Education)

Joe O'Brien Minister of State (Department of Rural and Community Development)

Peter Burke Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Martin Heydon Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Mary Butler Minister of State (Department of Health)

Leo Varadkar Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Robert Troy Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Oonagh Buckley Deputy Secretary General (Department of Justice)

Fiach Kelly Special Adviser (Department of Justice)

John McGuinness TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Matt Shanahan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Canney TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Lowry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Verona Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter Fitzpatrick TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Noel Grealish TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)