Galway Community Circus is due to play a key role in Galway 2020, but the group is struggling to secure adequate insurance cover.
After months of endless hours of research and negotiation, the organisation has been able to secure just one quote for insurance cover – for €23,890.
But this excludes any aerial acrobatics or any activity above 1.5m.
In 2016 the insurance premium for Galway Community Circus was €4,500 and this jumped to €15,886 in 2017.
In 2018 the group managed to secure cover with a UK-based company.
Niamh Smyth TD says that Galway Community Circus is at risk of being the next victim of the ‘government’s failure’ to bring in effective insurance reform.
The not-for-profit group, which has 650 members, has been awarded €800,000 of funding for the event in 2020 but in the absence of insurance, it will not be able to go ahead, the Fianna Fail TD said.
“Moreover, 650 young people will be left without the undoubted physical and creative benefits this activity brings to their lives.
“Fine Gael have been in Government for more than seven years.
“During that time, motorists, households, businesses, voluntary groups and community organisations have endured large increases in insurance costs.
“This is now reaching crisis point as more and more insurance providers exit the Irish insurance market. This Government must step up and accelerate insurance reform,” added Deputy Smyth.
