Insurance cover scheme for Tidy Towns groups

Over 20,000 people volunteer nationally with their local Tidy Towns group, but insuring volunteers is a cost burden on the approximately 1,000 tidy towns groups around the country.

That is why, Cllr Tom Farrell told colleagues at the January meeting of Westmeath County Council, he was proposing that the council look at extending its public liability insurance to cover registered Tidy Towns groups across the county. He said there is a pilot scheme operating under which some counties are doing this, and he urged Westmeath to get involved.

At present, he said, groups are having to pay anything from €350 to €1,500 for insurance cover.

“Not only do they work at keeping our towns clean and presentable and attractive for residents and businesses, but crucially, providing a pathway for people to give back to the community, providing support and also in integrating the local community,” Cllr Farrell said.

Pat Murtagh, senior executive officer with the council confirmed that there is a new community insurance initiative, the Irish Public Bodies (IPB) Tidy Towns insurance scheme being rolled out.

The scheme is a partnership between IPB and local authorities that are registered with the Public Participation Network (PPN), and the scheme is to be extended to any new Tidy Towns groups as they get established and become members of the PPN.

Mr Murtagh said that the eligible groups are any whose primary activity and purpose is to improve and enhance the appearance and sustainability of the public realm of a community within the catchment area.

The scheme is being introduced on a phased basis, and has been rolled out at this stage in Fingal, Roscommon, Laois, Carlow and Wexford.

Support came also from Cllr John Dolan, who said that the benefit that not having to pay insurance would mean for Tidy Towns groups would be significant.

“Groups like [Tidy Towns] save the council millions every year,” he stated. “The work that they do, we couldn’t possibly do: we wouldn’t have the staff to do it.”

On the other hand, he continued, his local Tidy Towns group, in Ballinahown, would not be where it is today without the support of the county council.

“But insurance is a bill that you don’t ‘get’ anything for. I suppose you have to have it, but it’s important that – hopefully – this will be covered: it makes sense to do it.”

Cllr Frankie Keena also spoke in support of the motion, but wondered if the benefit could be extended to other groups that work to benefit the community, such as the Athlone Canal Committee, and council Cathaoirleach, Liam McDaniel, commented positively on the work done by his local committee and others around the county.

Chief Executive Barry Kehoe said he was optimistic that the scheme might ultimately extend to other community groups.