Insurance reform for adventure parks
Deputy Brady said Squirrel’s Scramble reopened only after severe insurance costs and asked when promised legislation and changes would come. The Tánaiste welcomed the reopening and said personal injury guidelines and occupiers’ liability reform were key to reducing insurance costs.
Last week, we got the good news that Squirrel's Scramble Adventure Tree Park in Wicklow is to reopen in the springtime, following a decision it had to take to close due to escalating insurance costs. The company managed to secure insurance cover in a situation where the previous quote was €88,000. However, without Government action, this is only, as I understand it, a stay of execution. While a number of Government Deputies in Wicklow were quick to welcome the announcement, the irony is that the adventure park had to close in the first instance due to Government inaction in tackling the insurance industry. We need to see movement to change the Occupiers' Liability Act, which can be done by way of a simple amendment to ensure the issue of duty of care is managed in a fair and proportionate way.
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I have been given assurances by the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, that the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is giving priority to this issue.
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Can the Tánaiste give an update as to when priority will be given and when we will see the legislation and changes?
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I saw reports on the television news a few months ago about this adventure centre in County Wicklow closing. I had not heard that it has been able to secure insurance and can now reopen. That is really good news and very welcome. Having reopened, we want it stay opened, and having affordable and available insurance is going to be part of that. The first and biggest step in terms of insurance reform is the new personal injury guidelines, which have considerably brought down the awards people are paid when they incur an injury. That will help to bring down costs. The reform of the Occupiers' Liability Act is the next big step, and the Minister for Justice is working on that. We anticipate legislation to rebalance the duty of care in the new year. That is not taking away employers' or businesspeople's responsibility to protect their customers, but it does put a bit more responsibility on individuals to look after themselves and not get injured, which, unfortunately, some people find to be quite easy to do.