OWNERS of thatched homes are facing a growing crisis with the ongoing struggle of finding house insurance.
And according to Sinn Féin senator Joanne Collins, they are not just homes, they are also part of our built heritage.
The County Limerick politician told the Upper House that many insurers have left the sector altogether, while those that have stayed in the game are charging anything up to €2,500 for house insurance once the owners can find somebody to insure them.
“They also face the issue where if they cannot get house insurance, they cannot get a mortgage or sell their house. In the event of a disaster, they are taking their lives in their hands because their house will be destroyed if damaged by fire or water,” Senator Collins commented.
Many insurance companies, she indicated, are citing these exact reasons, for example, structural concerns and fire damage, for not wanting to give insurance.
“Instead of working with homeowners, they are just pulling out of this section of the industry all together. One can mitigate against these issues by using alternative fuels and fire mediation,” Senator Collins said.
“I welcome the work by the Department of Housing, the Heritage Council, and the thatched buildings steering group. Carrying out assessment is not going to be enough to get insurance for these homeowners.
“The thatched property insurance action group is also trying to create a group insurance scheme, which is commendable, but we need the government to help with this and support this, whether through subsidies, tax incentives or a shared risk model.”
Senator Collins suggested that “another aspect of this, which is also a pressure for these homeowners, is the shortage of skilled workers to thatch these houses”.
“If we do not develop training schemes for apprentices for this trade, as it is a dying trade, we could end up with these thatched homes just being used for tourism and not being liveable anymore.”
In response, Fine Gael senator Seán Kyne, who was chairing the Seanad’s Cultural and Education Panel, said that thatched houses are not as common as they once were. As a result, he believes it is important they are protected.
“I have come across some cases where, for example, a council will not buy a house under the tenant-in-situ scheme because it had a thatched roof,” he told Senator Collins.
“There is an issue in relation to insurance costs. Obviously, the cost of insurance relates to the risk. Insurance companies have made a judgment on the greater risk from relating to thatched houses. This is a real issue of concern.”
