Vol. 547 No. 1
117 Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties regarding public liability insurance which employers are encountering when an employee is working away from base as a fitting or plumbing contractor; if her attention has further been drawn to these problems; her plans to overcome these problems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2266/02]
I am very much aware of, and concerned about, the difficulties being experienced by some businesses in getting liability insurance cover at present. The pricing and underwriting of insurance is a matter for individual insurance companies and EU law prevents us from intervening in relation to the matter of premium levels or in respect of what risks they are prepared to underwrite. Insurers make decisions on provision of cover based on their assessment of that particular risk.
Difficulties in obtaining cover are attributable to the combined effect of a number of factors that have arisen. I understand that the events of 11 September 2001 have accelerated price increases and have caused reinsurers to review the cover they are prepared to offer insurers. All of this is felt by the consumer in the form of higher prices and curtailed availability of cover.
It seems that with regard to liability cover insurers consider there is a greater risk when employees are working away from their usual base. This Government has decided to establish a Personal Injuries Assessment Board with a view to reducing the costs of delivery of compensation in personal injuries cases. Work on the establishment of the PIAB is in progress. It is expected that the PIAB will, in the course of time, substantially reduce the number of personal injury claims being brought to court, thus reducing the legal and other costs involved in the delivery of personal injury compensation.
