Cork community groups could get public liability insurance through IPB

Rising insurance costs have put pressure on voluntary groups, with IPB now engaging with Cork County Council over extending cover

Angela McAllen, assistant chief executive of Cork County Council, said IPB 'fully recognises the rationale underpinning requests to explore the potential extension of this facility to residents’ associations'.Picture: Larry Cummins

Community groups, residents’ associations and men’s and women’s sheds in Cork could be offered public liability insurance through Irish Public Bodies (IPB), which provides similar cover to Cork County Council.

IPB has already provided public liability insurance to Tidy Towns groups and is “engaging positively” with the council about potentially extending the facility to other community-based organisations.

Angela McAllen, assistant chief executive of Cork County Council, said IPB “fully recognises the rationale underpinning requests to explore the potential extension of this facility to residents’ associations”.

Ms McAllen said the council continues to engage with IPB to “get this over the line” and broaden the scope of the cover to include other community groups carrying out similar voluntary activities.

She was responding to a request from Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern, who asked the council to seek public liability cover for community-based groups carrying out work previously undertaken by the local authority.

“Having engaged with several residents’ associations, they believe that more residents will take part if they know that insurance is covered and they would be able to organise more clean-up days within larger housing developments,” Ms Ahern said.

“It’s challenging for residents’ associations to gat

her members and have ‘pride in place’, but inclusion in an insurance policy would give reassurance to encourage people to join.”

Community groups facing rising costs

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said IPB was established 100 years ago to provide insurance for local authorities and that it was “only fitting” that it expand its cover to voluntary organisations helping councils.

“The community council in my own local area (Glanworth) has seen its public liability insurance skyrocket in recent years from hundreds to thousands of euro,” he said.

“These are voluntary groups and they’ve had to spend a lot more time trying to do things to raise the funds to pay the insurance.”

Independent Ireland councillor Ger Curley, who lives in Cobh, agreed that community volunteers in his area were experiencing similar difficulties.

He said many groups were carrying out work previously undertaken by the council, which he said could no longer afford to employ as many outdoor workers as it had in the past.

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley, who volunteers with clean-ups in her village of Crosshaven, said a positive move from IPB would be “very welcome” and would help secure the future of voluntary groups.

Independent Ireland councillor John Buckley, a community volunteer from Midleton, said men’s and women’s sheds also played a vital role in their communities and asked that the council seek insurance cover for them from IPB.

Fine Gael councillor Kay Dawson said the council was trying to encourage the formation of more residents’ associations and that securing public liability insurance through IPB would encourage more people to become involved.

“The experience gained through the Tidy Towns (insurance) initiative serves as an important foundation for this ongoing work (with IPB),” Ms McAllen said.