Business interruption insurance claims
Deputy McGrath described a publican being refused business interruption cover and argued insurers were evading obligations during the pandemic. The Taoiseach sympathised, said insurers should honour commitments, and noted the issue was being pursued more generally.
I was contacted by a very good, decent and honest publican in Tipperary this morning who has business interruption insurance. His insurance broker told him that because his premises was not closed due to an outbreak in it that the insurance company would not cover it. This is outrageous. There is a pandemic. The Government gave an order to close all businesses and it closed. Insurance companies are now picking off businesses one-by-one. These are individual business people who are stressed and put to the pins of their collars. This person is being told it is because it was not proven that the transmission did not happen inside his pub but no one knows where transmissions are being spread. It is outrageous nit-picking. It is the wild west out there in insurance. Will the Government do something about it? I know the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, is trying but it is outrageous that the insurance companies can pick and choose, and write off individual publicans like that. It is just not acceptable.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this. It is very stressful for individual business owners, in particular publicans. The insurance companies should honour their obligations and commitments in this regard. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, is engaged in this topic more generally. I do not have the specifics of the case which the Deputy identified but we will pursue the issue more broadly with the industry.