Minister Neale Richmond welcomes the Community Insurance initiative for Tidy Towns

Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Neale Richmond, welcomes the recently launched Community Insurance initiative which allows Local Authorities to obtain insurance for Tidy Towns through a partnership between Irish Public Bodies (IPB) Insurance and local authorities.

Welcoming the initiative, Minister Richmond said:

“Volunteer and local groups such as Tidy Towns are central to communities right across the country, not only through their work in keeping our towns clean, presentable and attractive for residents and visitors alike, but crucially in providing a pathway for people to give back to their community, providing support and meeting the needs of the area.

“This innovative partnership between Irish Public Bodies and Local Authorities will ensure that Tidy Towns have insurance to continue this vital work. I want to thank Irish Public Bodies for providing this partnership and for their support for Tidy Towns groups across the country.

“This initiative allows local authorities to offer insurance coverage to Tidy Town groups at no cost, thereby ensuring that this vital work can continue, bringing benefits to the community, and indeed the country, as a whole.

“The scheme is also an illustration of the effectiveness of the government’s insurance reform agenda. The implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform has brought significant benefits to consumers, with insurance capacity now available in previously problematic areas, such as hospitality, leisure activities and community groups.”

Notes

The government's Action Plan for Insurance Reform has included significant achievements since 2020, most notably the rebalancing of the Duty of Care, reforming the Injuries Resolution Board (formerly PIAB) and introducing the new Personal Injury Guidelines.

Duty of Care: Reforming the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 was a “Principal Action” in the Action Plan for Insurance Reform.

The Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 amendments to the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 contain four key developments:
inserting into primary law a number of recent court decisions which rebalance the duty of care owed by occupiers to visitors and recreational users;
changing the standard to clarify that when the occupier of a property has acted with reckless disregard for a visitor or customer, it is the standard of reckless disregard rather than reasonable grounds which should apply in relation to any consideration of liability;
limits to the circumstances in which a court can impose liability on the occupier of a premises where a person has entered onto premises for the purpose of committing an offence; and
allowing for a broader range of scenarios where it can be shown that a visitor or customer has voluntarily assumed a risk resulting in harm

Amendments to duty of care legislation reflect recent court decisions, clarify standards for occupiers' liability, limit liability in specific circumstances, and recognize voluntary assumption of risk by visitors or recreational users.

The Injuries Resolution Board (formerly Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB)) has undergone reforms under the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022, completing its third phase in December 2023 - reforms include the introduction of mediation services for resolving employer liability claims, public liability claims and motor claims services.

The Personal Injuries Guidelines were adopted by the Judicial Council in March 2021 and have been instrumental in stabilising the claims environment by reducing award levels by an average of 35 percent (based on data from the Injuries Resolution Board for 2022, published in December 2023).

It is important to note that this community group insurance scheme is not state insurance ; rather, it is a partnership between IPB Insurance and local authorities.

Minister Neale Richmond welcomes the Community Insurance initiative for Tidy Towns

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