Jun 8, 2020
Alliance calls on State to act now before irreparable damage is done, on back of COVID-19 survey findings
Cabinet Committee now essential to deliver insurance reform
The Alliance for Insurance Reform has today published the results of a major survey which clearly illustrates that the grip the insurance crisis has on Irish society has been magnified by the Covid19 pandemic .
Headlines figures from the research include:
- 63% of business interruption claims have already been refused by insurers
- 55% of policyholders are concerned about COVID19 related personal injury claims
- In 18% of cases insurers have denied forbearance, while a further 12% have given a concession by way of credit on renewal
- Insurance premiums continue to rise despite huge reduction in economic and social activity
Business Interruption & Forbearance
Tellingly, only 33% of respondents have made a business interruption claim. Of these, 63% have already been refused by insurers and an additional 33% await a decision. Only 2% have taken their claim further via the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) or legal action. Insurers have declined any forbearance (liquidity-related concessions such as rebates, pauses or extensions) in 18% of cases while in a further 12%, the concession has been by way of a credit off the next renewal which does not address urgent liquidity issues and prevents shopping around.
Renewals and Premium Rises
22% of those who have renewed their insurance cover since the onset of COVID-19 have seen a rise in their premium. In an environment where there is a substantial reduction in economic and social activity levels for all sectors and as such a massive reduction in risk and turnover, this rise in premiums is a cause for concern for all policyholders.
Commenting on the findings, Michael Magner, Chair of the Alliance’s Covid19 Working Group and owner of Cork’s Vienna Woods Hotel said “these figures merely confirm what we are seeing every day of the week. It is time for the State to take meaningful action before irreparable damage is done to Irish businesses and voluntary organisations struggling to deal with Covid19.
“The Department of Finance must get insurers to play their part. The suggestion that this Covid19 crisis may prove to be a financial Armageddon for insurers is completely undermined by the relatively low level of requests for business interruption payments or forbearance. The Department must now prioritise the ongoing survival of SMEs and voluntary groups which were already threatened by sky-high insurance costs; and are now faced with the refusal of insurers to engage on legitimate business interruption claims and requests for immediate forbearance.
“In order to protect policyholders from Covid19-related personal injury claims, the State must now move to indemnify businesses and voluntary groups against such claims and provide clear, detailed unambiguous guidance, customised by sector, on how to best prevent the spread of Covid19.
“The Central Bank must equally intervene aggressively on behalf of policyholders. General statements are not enough; and the Financial Ombudsman (FSPO) must fast-track complaints already received to give urgent clarity to policyholders on where they stand.
“Finally, insurers must vigorously contest opportunistic or exaggerated claims related to Covid19 in order to avoid a situation where such claims become a cottage industry in their own right.”
Peter Boland, Director of the Alliance said “we cannot afford any further delays to proposed reforms in this area. Our members identified reductions in general damages, a more balanced duty of care, reductions in legal fees and increased sanctions for fraudulent and exaggerated claims as essential reforms in the context of Covid19. It is going to take a cabinet committee, chaired by the incoming Taoiseach, to guarantee that the State delivers on these and other essential insurance reforms quickly, so that insurance does not hamper the recovery of the nation.”
ENDS
NOTE: The survey was carried out among Alliance for Insurance Reform members between Friday 29th May and Sunday 7th June 2020.
There were 2,095 respondents spread primarily across the Hospitality, Motor & Transport, Leisure, Retail, Not-For-Profit, Healthcare, Arts & Entertainment and Manufacturing sectors.
Insurance in the context of this survey refers primarily to Public Liability, Employer Liability and Business Interruption insurance.
For further information contact:
Peter Boland
Jun 5, 2020
Phase 2 Sport & Physical Activity
Jun 5, 2020
Due to phenomenal demand for our recent online meetings, Clann Credo is hosting a third and final ‘Supporting Community Organisations Through Challenging Times’ meeting. The aim has been to bring the Clann Credo Community together to learn and exchange ideas with others.
You are invited to attend the final online meeting of this series on Tuesday 9th of June at 7.30 pm – 8:30pm.
Join the interactive meeting to learn and share with peer community organisations:
– Meet and talk to your regional Clann Credo contact
– Explore what help is available and how we can support you
– Create a network where experiences can be shared and peer to peer support provided
Covid-19 has created huge challenges for community organisations and sports clubs. Many have suspended activities, and the impact of those closures is far reaching both socially and economically.
Community groups working with socially disadvantaged and vulnerable people are trying to maintain or increase supports while adhering to social distancing guidelines and this is presenting new difficulties.
The meeting will be a great opportunity to meet other community organisations and sports clubs from around the country and share ideas for getting through this difficult time. We will explore the challenges your organisation is facing and see how Clann Credo might support you.
Spaces are limited and the first two meetings reached capacity within hours. So if you would like to attend, please register in advance using the link below, without delay, to avoid disappointment.
Register Here
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We want you to know that we’re here to listen, talk and explore ways forward. We won’t have all the answers on the night, but we’ll try to find ways to get them.
The Clann Credo Team is looking forward to meeting you online.
May 29, 2020
The AXA Community Bike Rides Team were delighted to see the programme hit a new milestone, with the first of its members completing 50 bike rides.
Since the programme was launched last year, members have been taking part in these free, social bike rides which are led by trained and vetted volunteer leaders in their local communities. To take part, individuals register for free to become a member of the programme on www.axacommunitybikerides.com, and then searching by County, they select the ride they want to part take in and sign up. Group sizes vary from 8 to 16, and the rides themselves can vary from easy going to challenging, so there is something to suit everyone.
The programme tracks all participation, and at various milestones, such as completing 10, 50 or 100 bike rides, the members receive a reward from the Team in the post, such as a buff, waterbottle or t-shirt.
Member and Leader Charlie Parsons has been actively involved in the programme since it was initially piloted. Charlie has led a variety of rides from his 12km Kilkenny City loop, to his 40km Paulstown loop. As with all Leaders, central to Charlie’s rides are the coffee shops, and the social connection between all those taking part. As he was the first member to complete 50 rides, not only did he receive his branded waterbottle, but he also received an AXA Community Bike Rides jacket.
With the current restrictions in place due to Covid-19, for now all AXA Community Bike Rides are solo bike rides. This is a big change for all those leaders and members who enjoy the social aspect of cycling, which is the key focus of the programme. By providing solo bike rides, the members can remain connected through this virtual community and like Charlie said “we’re all looking forward to getting back to group cycling before this summer is over where we can enjoy the social contact with coffee, cake and chats”. He encourages all members to register and take part in the solo bike rides and keep connected during this time #getoutgetactivegethappy.
Why not join Charlie on an upcoming solo bike ride and start earning your rewards? Sign up at www.axacommunitybikerides.com and search ‘Virtual Rides’.
For more information, please email mary.corry@cyclingireland.ie.
May 28, 2020
The biggest ever coaching survey conducted in Irish sport will see the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association join forces to help shape the future development of Gaelic games.
Coaches at every level of football, hurling and camogie are being encouraged and urged to make their voices heard via the online survey. The Gaelic games Coach Survey 2020 is a unique opportunity for coaches to provide an insight into their role, and their needs.
This survey will look at all our coaches’ experience, their practice and how coaches see coaching into the future. We are also very interested in coaches’ experience of coach education, and what coaches feel are their own learning needs. Those people that have dropped out of coaching are also part of this survey, to help us understand why they are no longer coaching, and whether there is anything that we can put in place to encourage them back into coaching.
We are asking all coaches to complete the survey and to circulate this survey amongst all the coaches within your club.
To access the survey, you can click on the following link:
Take Gaelic Games Coach Survey 2020
Alternatively, you can visit the GAA Learning website – https://learning.gaa.ie/coachsurvey or email gamesdevelopment@gaa.ie
Coaches who complete the survey will be offered the chance to take part in a draw, whereby four respondents will win Coaching Master Class sessions. The Coaching Master Class will involve a coaching session for the winning coaches’ own team, and a coaching workshop for all of the coaches within their Club.
May 21, 2020
STATEMENT FROM THE FEDERATION OF IRISH SPORT IN RELATION TO THE CURRENT STATE OF SPORT IN IRELAND
Federation calls for a Resilience Fund for Sport and a task force to specifically focus on the survival and reignition of sport organisations nationwide
Issued on behalf of our members the 81 National Governing Bodies and 29 Local Sports Partnerships that organise Sport and Physical Activity in Ireland
There has been no organised sport in Ireland for 10 weeks. The stark reality is that the knock-on effects of Covid-19 financially for all sports organisations in the country are devastating. Within the last week, we have seen a number of our major team sports talk publicly of losses up to 70% of their turnover. Unfortunately, we are also seeing these types of percentages in revenue losses right across the sporting landscape in Ireland. All sports have been impacted.
While we welcome the setting up of the Return to Sport Expert Group, its remit is very specific which is to assess the consistency of the various protocols being prepared by NGBs to return to sport in Ireland. The Federation believes however that in addition to this Group, that sport needs a separate Task Force similar to the one Government has set up for the Tourism Industry. We need innovative thinking, swift action, and investment at local and national level providing business and administrative supports to Irish Sport to help sustain it through this unprecedented emergency and the recovery.
The fact is that many of our 13,000 clubs and sporting organisations may not survive the financial impact of Covid-19 without financial assistance now. We are calling on the Government to introduce a Resilience Fund for sport immediately.
While the government are to be commended not alone on their support for the charitable sector but also for the €250 million fund set up for small business, the reality is that sport needs similar support. Sports clubs across all sports are in most cases small businesses as well as social enterprises – in some cases not that small either! It is all too easy to forget that sport in Ireland is today an industry that employs some 40,000 people (supported by some 500,000 volunteers) and which also accounts for €2.7 billion in consumer spending. It also is worth €500 million to our tourism industry.
The Covid-19 Irish Sport Resilience Fund needs to be established by Government as a matter of urgency. Similar funds were introduced by Sport England and Sport New Zealand a number of weeks ago. As is the case in both those countries, support will be needed for club and community sports organisations as well as sports organisations funded through Sport Ireland. This financial assistance must help sports organisations facing particular financial difficulty and support organisations in getting back to business and adapting to the new reality as restrictions lift.
There has been a significant fall off in income, as the normal revenue sources such as subscriptions, gate receipts, sponsorship, summer camp and coach education income have dried up. At the same time, running costs including insurance and facilities maintenance all continue to be incurred. Most sports clubs are not-for-profit organisations with minimal reserves, and they are now also facing substantial costs to be able to implement return to sport protocols in accordance with public health guidelines.
This at a time when physical activity and exercise has never been as important to maintain both physical and mental wellbeing. Irish Sport is supporting the Government call in this regard with sports organisations of all types being innovative in their use of digital channels to encourage activity and maintain a sense of community.
-ENDS-
