Joint Committee on Public Petitions to resume consideration of petition seeking ‘Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings’ with Minister Fleming and Minister Noonan

The meeting at 1.30pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will discuss Public Petition Number P00036/21 from Ms Katie McNelis with Sean Fleming TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance at the Department of Finance, and Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Martin Browne said: “The Committee has already heard from the petitioner, Ms Katie McNelis, and others about the difficulties that owners of thatched cottages are having in securing insurance cover for their properties, many of which have heritage and protected status. Members were told this is down to a combination of British insurers who previously offered cover withdrawing from the Irish market due to Brexit and alternatives not being available here.

“The Committee welcomes this opportunity to meet with Minister Fleming, who has responsibility for insurance, and Minister Noonan who has responsibility for heritage, and looks forward to a wide-ranging discussion with them on these issues and related matters.

“The Committee will also consider a number of other petitions, including ‘Homelessness is cancer…blocked-up houses are not a cure’, ‘Presidential Pardons in relation to Cases that pre-date the State’, ‘Save Clifden District Hospital’.”

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions is a standing Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas and has 11 Members, seven from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in the Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.