On the day that is in it, I send good wishes and love to everybody in the Chamber. Those of us on this side of the House sent a Valentine's card to the Tánaiste and the Government. Unfortunately, we gave it to the Minister for Health so it might be a few months before they get it but I am sure they will eventually get it.

Small businesses throughout the country are not receiving any love from their insurance companies. I caught the end of the Minister for Finance's interaction with Deputy Burton. Small businesses, farms, marts and festivals are being hammered by increasing insurance costs, particularly business insurance costs. I do not know if the Tánaiste heard it but I would encourage him to listen to Tuesday's edition of "Today With Sean O'Rourke" over the weekend. That edition focused on play centres in particular and the hit they are taking. One case in Navan involves a lady called Linda Murray who runs a centre employing 12 people that hosted 20,000 children last year. Her costs have gone from €2,000 in 2012 to €16,000 in 2018 without a claim. She is being advised that she cannot get a quote in 2019. The insurance companies in this sector are beginning to pull out because Ireland is seen as such an outlier by the insurance industry. If she was operating in the UK, she would get a quote - one that would be much lower. We are talking about 12 jobs in a business that has been operating for seven years, involving very hard work, and that has a very high reputation. Some 20,000 children in Navan are being completely discommoded. Similarly, the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine are being told about marts throughout the country having to close. Community events such as street festivals are affected. Some 75 community festivals alone have shut down in the past few years because of increased insurance costs.

Meanwhile nothing is happening. Yes, there have been reductions in the cost of motor insurance because motor insurance is trackable and accessible but when it comes to this kind of insurance, there is a mystery behind it. Business owners cannot see why their costs are increasing and what kind of claims are being settled. Meanwhile the Government, once again, has its head in the sand. On "Today with Sean O'Rourke" the other day, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy D'Arcy, acknowledged that the level of claims in this country was the problem but this has been known for 19 or 20 months since it came forward in the report. Yet it was only yesterday that the Minister for Justice and Equality wrote to the Chief Justice to ask him to do something about it. In the meantime, 75 festivals, marts and small businesses throughout the country have gone to the wall. What is the Government going to do about it? Does it understand the seriousness of the situation facing small businesses? Once and for all, can the Government stand up for small businesses against the might of the insurance industry?

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes on the day that is in it. We have not exactly been feeling the love from Fianna Fáil this week but perhaps-----

You can always rely on their love.

We will not get any from you. Hope springs eternal.

It is early in the day but I will pass on Deputy Calleary's good wishes to the Minister for Health. That is appreciated. On the serious issue of insurance, I emphasise that we in government are very aware of the financial strain that the cost of insurance is placing on some consumers and many businesses. Indeed the problem of rising premiums in respect of motor insurance in particular was the main impetus for the establishment of the cost of insurance working group chaired by the Minister for Finance. The working group is continuing to implement the 33 recommendations from the 2017 report on the cost of motor insurance and the 15 recommendations from the 2018 report on the cost of employer and public liability insurance, to which Deputy Calleary did not refer but which certainly exists. Both of these primary reports contain action plans that set out agreed timelines for implementation as well as a commitment that the working group will prepare regular updates on its progress. The seventh such update was published last November and shows that of the total number of 78 separate relevant deadlines within the action plans of the two reports set up to the end of quarter three of 2018, 63 relate to actions that have been completed.

There is more work to do but it is not true to say that nothing is happening in this area. It is envisaged that the next quarterly progress update will be completed by the end of this month and will concentrate on outlining the definitive position relating to all the 33 recommendations from the cost of motor insurance report as the last deadlines in its action plan passed at the end of 2018. In respect of employment and public liability insurance, the vast majority of the 26 action points, which were due for completion during 2018, have been accomplished. I remain confident that any outstanding action points will be completed in the coming months along with the three remaining action points with deadlines set for various quarters throughout 2019.

I am familiar with the pressure outlined by Deputy Calleary regarding many individual businesses, be they marts or other businesses. The Government will continue to monitor how we, through change policy and changes of approach, can continue to ensure that we have a competitive insurance offer in Ireland for small businesses in particular. We have an action plan that is being implemented and we will continue to update that.

That is no comfort to businesses throughout the country that are facing extraordinary rises - hundreds of percent - in premiums, including nightclubs, restaurants, community events such as festivals and play centres. People have been made redundant because they cannot pay for insurance or get a quote. While the Government is coming up with these action plans, insurance companies are refusing to give quotes. On "Today with Sean O'Rourke", the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy D'Arcy, outlined that he had a plan A. He was unable to progress that; it was delayed. Plan B was delayed and now he is on plan C. Much of the delay was because legislation is not being pursued.

If there is urgency, one concrete action the Government can take and take quickly is publishing a new book of quantum. When will the new book of quantum that might bring some sort of discipline and order to injury awards, which are four times higher in this country than they are in the UK, be produced? An award that might be £10,000 in the UK is €40,000 here. This is costing jobs and closing down businesses. When can we expect the book of quantum?

It is important to say that while I recognise there are significant pressures in some of the areas raised by Deputy Calleary, it is also important to recognise the progress that has been made in other areas. If we were here two years ago or last year, we would have been talking about the cost of motor insurance-----

Tell that to the people who are closing down.

What we have seen over the past two and a half years is a 22% reduction in the cost of motor insurance. We now need to deliver the kind of results for small businesses that we have managed to deliver for motor insurance. That is what we intend to do. That is why we have an action plan. Motor insurance was phase one, we are now looking at public liability insurance and businesses and we are determined to deliver the kind of results that we have seen in the motor insurance sector in the broader commercial sector as well.

Book of quantum.

I will have to come back to Deputy Calleary about that but I will do so happily. I will speak to the Minister concerned, who is the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, and revert to Deputy Calleary about the book of quantum.