CSNA calls for fair Insurance Reform

A new report by the Injuries Resolution Board reveals a stark reduction in public liability claims, yet businesses face soaring insurance premiums. The CSNA is calling for immediate government intervention to address this disparity
22 January 2025
Speaking recently about the publication of the Injuries Resolution Board’s report on “Public Liability Accidents,” Vincent Jennings, chair of the Alliance for Insurance Reform and CEO of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), said: In recent years the only thing increasing faster than public liability premiums has been insurer profits, and this report shows that this was happening against a backdrop of significantly reducing public liability claims across whole sectors of our economy. It is unconscionable really.”
The CSNA has consistently called attention to these discrepancies, and the challenges faced by businesses and communities burdened by rising insurance premiums.
According to the CSNA, some of the report’s key findings include:
- Between 2019 and 2023, claims for personal injuries sustained by visitors to businesses and public spaces decreased by 40%.
- The total annual value of awards in 2023 dropped to €33.2 million, a 37% reduction compared to five years prior.
- Claims in sectors such as cafés, hotels, and restaurants fell by more than half (-52%) during the same period. Shops and stores experienced a 44% decrease, while sports and athletic areas saw a 38% reduction.
- In childcare settings—a sector historically known for high insurance costs—only 256 personal injury claims were recorded over five years, despite nearly 170,000 children being enrolled in 2020/2021.
Fundamental unfairness
According to Jennings: “For years the message from insurers was that premiums track the volume of claims and the cost of settling them.”
Jennings noted that the recent report from the Injuries Resolution Board “belies that narrative and we need the next government to step up and address this fundamental unfairness.”
“Businesses, sports, community and voluntary groups are currently facing crippling costs of doing business and the Injuries Board data highlighting falling claim volumes and award sizes tells us public liability insurance shouldn’t be another one of these costs,” concluded Jennings.
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