Buildings insurance covers anything that you cannot usually take away with you if you move home.  These include the structure of your home including domestic outbuildings and any fixtures or fittings.

You should insure your home for the rebuilding cost and this is the reinstatement value. You can find the home-building cost figures in the Guide to House Rebuilding Insurance available from the Society of Chartered Surveyors (www.scs.ie)

Contents insurance covers household goods and personal effects belonging to you or belonging to members of your household and domestic employees permanently residing with you, all in the private house and domestic outbuildings.

You should insure your contents for the amount it would cost you to replace them if they were stolen or damaged.

Accidental damage covers accidental events giving rise to a loss for example a spillage on your carpet or if you or a member of your household hammers a nail into a pipe.

Accidental Damage is an optional extra available and you may choose this option during your quote.

Accidental Damage is an optional extra available and you may choose this option during your quote.

This is an optional extra that you must choose during your quote. All risks cover protects against loss, theft of, or accidental damage to items outside your home as well as in. The unspecified all risks section of your policy covers items such as jewellery, photographic equipment, personal effects, clothing and sports equipment up to a maximum sum insured as shown on the schedule with a limit of € 1,000 for any one item. The specified all risks section of your policy covers specified items with a minimum value of € 1,000.

Yes a valuation will be required for items valued more than €5,000. These items will not be covered unless we receive the valuation from you.

The excess is the amount of each claim that you will have to pay for yourself. The standard excess on the policy is €250 however discounts are available should you wish to choose a higher excess of €500 or €1,000. There are some sections of the policy which have a different excess amount.

- by credit card or laser card at no extra charge processed through a secure SSL server on our website
- by cheque, bank draft or postal order made payable to Pike Insurance Services Limited
- by direct debit (each company have different arrangements)

If at the time of the loss or damage, your sums insured are less than the full reinstatement or replacement cost, then you will be your own insurer for the difference. Your insurer will only pay their share of the loss or damage which your sum insured bears to such cost.

All Risks cover is an optional cover available on a household policy to cover valuable items lost or damaged while inside or outside your home.

All Risks cover is an optional cover available on a household policy to cover valuable items lost or damaged while inside or outside your home

Specified all Risks allows you to note specific items of value that you want insured on an All Risks basis.

This is a regulation, which was introduced to establish a minimum standard for the installation of burglar alarms. If your burglar alarm has been fitted by an authorised contractor to EN50131 Standard (old IS199) you should have been given a certificate to verify this at installation.

The minimum level of cover for car insurance in Ireland is 'Third Party Only'. 'Third Party' car insurance is required by law and covers third party injury or damage caused by you or another insured driver when driving the vehicle.

There is also an option to select 'Third Party, Fire & Theft' car insurance.

The best level of cover available is comprehensive car insurance. This covers 'third party, fire, theft and accidental damage' to your vehicle.

There are many factors which may affect your car insurance premium and these can include;

• The car, including model, engine size, value and year.
• Your age and driving experience.
• Your 'No Claims Bonus' or 'Named Driving Experience'.
• Previous car insurance or motor insurance claims.
• Penalty points.
• Details of Named Drivers.

There are a number of ways to help reduce your car insurance premium and these may include;

• Restrict the number of drivers covered on your policy. Insurance companies often give 'Insured Only' or 'Insured & Spouse' discounts.
• You may get a discount if your spouse has insurance in their own name.
• Stay free from penalty points as many Irish car insurance companies will charge extra if you have penalty points.
• If your car has a large engine or is highly valued then this may increase your premium.
• Stay claims free!
• Consider selecting 'third party' insurance cover instead of 'comprehensive' cover.

An insurance policy is a contract between you and the insurer and included in this policy are detailed terms and conditions which include duties of the insured. Theses may include:

• The duty to inform the insurance company if any of the details on the proposal form change.
• The duty to make a full and honest disclosure of relevant facts to the insurer and answer all questions on the proposal form truthfully.

Some Irish car insurance policies will include a 'driving of other cars' extension which will allow you to drive other cars which do not belong to you. This cover is 'third party only' and may also exclude some vehicles. Refer to your policy and certificate for full details of cover.

For every year that you hold a motor insurance policy in your own name, Irish insurance companies will allow you a 1 year 'No Claims Bonus'. Each company uses the bonus in a different was but the most common way to use the 'No Claims Bonus' system is to allow 10% of your premium for every year, up to a maximum of 5 years.

Named driving experience is any period for which you have been insured as a named driver on someone else's Irish Car Insurance policy. This may allow you to get a discount when you apply for insurance in your own name.

A policy excess is the first part of any claim you will be required to carry. If your policy has an excess of €250, then you will be require to carry the first €250 of any claim. Your insurer will pay the rest.

Your policy will cover you to drive in Ireland and the UK. Often, your policy will automatically extend to a number of other European countries. We recommend you contact your broker before travelling to ensure that full cover is in force.

Yes. An insurer must sell you the plan you request. Some plans are marketed towards certain groups such as companies or professions. You are entitled to these plans regardless of whether or not you are a member of the group to whom it is being marketed.

You can cancel your health insurance contract within 14 days of commencement and receive a full refund of premiums. No claims will be paid for the 14 days.

• Cover for private and semi-private hospital accommodation.
• Cover for inhospital consultant services as a private patient.
• Other cover including maternity, overseas, psychiatric and outpatient benefits.

Private health insurance products offer two different types of accommodation. The types of accommodation offered are semi-private and private accommodation. Semi-private accommodation could involve sharing a room with up to 4 other people. It should be noted that although health insurance contracts provide cover for a certain level of accommodation, if that level of accommodation is not available a lower level of accommodation may be provided. While the hospital cover under different contracts may vary, private health insurers in Ireland generally group Irish hospitals into three categories:

• Public hospitals (i.e. hospitals that are funded by the State)
• Private hospitals
• Some hospitals are usually only covered under a higher level of cover (e.g. The Blackrock Clinic, the Mater Private Hospital, and the Beacon Hospital)

Consumers should check their policy to determine the extent of cover offered by their policy.

Most health insurance contracts cover the cost of consultant services provided during a hospital stay. An exception to this would be stand alone, day to day or outpatient policies. Consumers should check their policy to determine the extent of cover offered by their policy. There will normally be a list of consultants, whose services are covered, available from each insurer

Treatment received in respect of illnesses, injuries or complications during pregnancy, if covered, would be considered as part of the hospital cover part of your contract. Routine treatment received during the course of a normal pregnancy and delivery would be covered under the maternity section of your contract. Often this section will provide full cover for a limited stay in hospital and a fixed amount for the consultant care in the hospital. Some policies also provide some cover for outpatient consultant care.

You will not normally be able to claim under the maternity section of your contract until you have served a waiting period of 52 weeks. This only applies if taking out health insurance for the first time, if you are upgrading your policy to a higher level of cover or if you have allowed your health insurance to lapse for more than 13 weeks.

Outpatient benefits differ from policy to policy, but typically it allows you to claim for a portion of the cost of GP, outpatient consultant, diagnositc tests and dental visits, physiotherapy, sight tests and an allowance for glasses or contact lenses subject to an annual excess.

No. Outpatient treatment differs from day-patient treatment. Neither day-patient nor outpatient treatment involves overnight stays in hospital. However, day-patient treatment normally involves more serious procedures and any cover you have for it would be included in the hospital cover section of your contract. Your insurer or your consultant can advise whether your procedure is a day-case or outpatient treatment.

With some products it is difficult to see exactly how much you can benefit from this cover as it can be quite complex. You will have to pay for the treatment first, keeping a receipt and claim at the end of your policy year. Features of this cover often include the following:

• There is often a maximum level of benefit that is paid in relation to out-patient cover.
• There is often an annual excess i.e. an amount you must pay before you can claim anything.
• Usually, you can only claim for a portion of the cost of the visit to your practitioner. This is called the 'allowable expenses'. For example, a GP's visit may cost €50 but you may only be allowed to claim €20. The €20 is the allowable expenses.

Some policies will have all three of these features. It could be the case that even though the total of your outpatient expenses is more than the excess, you might still not be in a position to claim because your total allowable expenses have not yet reached the level of the excess. For example, consider a case where the allowable amount for a visit to your GP is €20 and the outpatient excess is €300 in each year. Then assuming that your only out-patient expenses relate to your GP visits, you will not be able to make a claim from your insurance company unless you have made 15 visits to your GP in a year (i.e. 15 X €20 = €300). Thereafter you will only be able to claim €20 per visit even though the visits may cost you €50.

If there is no excess on your policy you may claim immediately according to the benefits on your policy.

Private Health Insurance contracts normally have a list of exclusions, which are circumstances under which the insurer may not pay a claim. For example:

• Treatment received during waiting periods.
• Treatment, which in the view of the insurer's medical director is experimental or not medically necessary.
• Treatment related to birth control or assisted reproduction.
• Cosmetic surgery other than for the correction of congenital, accidental or disease related disfigurement.
• Treatment received in a hospital or from a medical practitioner that the insurer does not recognise and the insurer has informed you that it does not recognise the medical practitioner.
• Medical expenses which you are entitled to recover from a third party.

The above is not a comprehensive list of exclusions. Your contract may include some or all of the above, which will be set out in your contract details. You should review these carefully.

There are often some limits on the level of cover provided. Sometimes a policy will only cover you for a certain number of days of treatment, or it may only pay out benefit up to a particular amount. In all cases you should consult your policy documentation in order to determine the extent to which benefits are provided.

Private health insurance is insurance that helps cover all or part of the medical and hospital costs incurred. Other benefits may also be provided as part of your policy.

No. These types of insurance are not licensed by the Health Insurance Authority. The sums of money provided by these plans are not based on the cost of the medical expenses incurred. These types of insurance are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

There are two types of private health insurer in Ireland:

Open Membership Insurers must provide insurance to everybody who requests it from them. Currently there are four such insurers operating in Ireland, namely Aviva Health, Quinn Healthcare, Vhi Healthcare and Hospital Saturday Fund HSF. Only the first three provide cover for hospital in-patient costs.

Restricted Membership Insurers provide insurance to people who are members of a particular group, normally a vocational group or employees of a particular organisation and their dependants. For example, such schemes are operated for members of the Garda Síochána and their dependants and for employees of the ESB and their dependants.

Yes. All applicants for private health insurance cover must be accepted by a private health insurer, regardless of their health status or age. However waiting periods may apply before benefits can be claimed.

Beds in public hospitals are designated as either public beds or private beds. If you are receiving treatment as a public patient you are entitled to free maintenance apart from a charge of €75 per day, up to a maximum of €750 in a year from 1st January 2011 (this is referred to as the public hospital inpatient charge). If you hold a medical card you do not have to pay any public hospital charges. If you are a public patient you do not have the right to choose your consultant.

Private and semi-private hospital care in Ireland is provided for in private hospitals and also in public hospitals. If you opt for private care in a either public hospital or private hospital, you or your insurer must pay for your treatment and accommodation.

As of 1st January 2011 hospital charges for treatment and accommodation as a private or semi-private patient in a public hospital are up to €985 per day for a semi-private room and up to €1092 per day for a private room. Private hospitals are free to set their own charges. You or your insurer will also have to pay medical consultant's fees.

No. The health insurance system applying in Ireland is called community rating. In a community rated system everyone pays the same premium for a given health insurance plan, except ias follows:

• The premium for children must be no more than 50% of the adult premium.
• The premium for full-time dependent students under the age of 23 may be reduced. The reduced premium must not be more than 50% of the adult premium.
• The premium may be reduced by up to 10% for members of group schemes.
• Pensioners who are members of restricted membership insurers may have their premiums reduced.

There is no price control in the health insurance industry. An insurer does not require approval for price increases from a regulator. If you are unhappy with the premium you are paying, you may switch plans or insurers at your renewal date. In some cases insurers allow policy holders to switch contracts during the 12 month contract term.

Yes. Company plans are available to all regardless of whether you are an employee or not.

No. An insurer must accept all applicants for insurance. Some plans are marketed towards certain groups such as companies or professions. You are entitled to these plans regardless of whether you are a member of the group to whom it is being marketed.

No. Health insurance is available to all, regardless of age, sex or health status. However a waiting period may apply in respect of cover for treatment for the medical condition.

If you are taking out health insurance plan for the first time or have allowed your cover to lapse for 13 weeks or more, you will be covered for accident and injury claims immediately. However an insurer may apply a waiting period to all other claims.

The maximum waiting periods that an insurer may apply in these circumstances are as follows:

• 26 weeks in respect of a person who is under the age of 55 years.
• 52 weeks in respect of a person who is of or over the age of 55 years and under the age of 65 years.
• 104 weeks in respect of a person who is 65 years and over. They impose a waiting period of 52 weeks in respect of maternity benefits

If you are taking out health insurance for the first time and have a pre-existing condition, the health insurer can impose a waiting period in respect of cover for treatment for this condition. The maximum waiting periods that the health insurer may impose in this case are as follows:

• 5 years, for a person who is under the age of 55 years.
• 7 years, for a person who is of or over the age of 55 years and under the age of 60 years.
• 10 years for a person who is 60 years or over

These waiting periods apply from the date cover commences. It should be noted that whether or not a condition existed at the time that an insured person began serving a waiting period is decided on the basis of medical advice. Whether or not the insured person was aware that they had the condition at the time that they started serving the waiting period may be considered not to be relevant by the insurer. If this matter is important to you, you should consider clarifying it with your insurer.

If you allow your health insurance to lapse for more than 13 weeks you may have to serve your waiting periods again.

No. A system of lifetime cover operates in Ireland. This is a system that protects you by guaranteeing all consumers the right to renew their policies, irrespective of factors such as age, risk status or claims history. Once you have health insurance, an insurer cannot stop cover or refuse to renew your insurance, except in very limited circumstances.

Yes. You have the right to change your health insurance plan, or insurer. The insurer may not impose additional waiting periods unless you are upgrading your cover. Even when you are upgrading your cover, an insurer may only impose an extra waiting period in respect of the additional cover in the new policy. The maximum waiting periods that can be applied in relation to new benefits are as follows:

• 2 years for a person under 65 when first named under the higher contract.
• 5 years for a person of 65 and over when first named under the higher contract
• 52 weeks for maternity

Inpatient benefits
As of Jan 2010 insurers only apply waiting periods to inpatient benefits when used for conditions which existed prior to the upgrade in cover and for maternity benefits.

Outpatient benefits
Insurers currently apply lower waiting periods to outpatient benefits when you upgrade your cover. These waiting periods apply to both new and existing conditions.

If you upgrade your cover you may have to serve an additional waiting period in respect of the extra benefits you receive as a result of the upgrade in cover. These waiting periods currently only apply to those conditions which existed prior to the upgrade in cover. The maximum waiting periods that the health insurer can impose in relation to the new benefits are listed in the question above.

In general, health insurance policies are 12 month contracts. If you switch insurer and later decide you want to switch back, you may do so at your next renewal date. In some cases the insurers allow policy holders to switch contracts during the 12 month contract term.  The insurer may only impose waiting periods for any extra benefits available on your new plan.

Infants born to policy holders will not serve a waiting period if they are added to a policy within 13 weeks of their date of birth.

Private health insurance premiums are subject to income tax relief at source at the standard rate (currently, as at January 2011, 20%). The premium charged by the insurer will automatically take account of this relief.

The Irish state supports the community rated system by providing age related tax credits in respect of older people to help meet the expected higher cost of health insurance for this group. As a result, older people pay the same amount net of these tax credits for their health insurance as younger adults pay. These tax credits are funded by a levy paid by health insurers. In 2011 this levy is equal to €205 for each adult covered by the insurer and €66 for each child. The tax credits and levy are administered by the health insurance companies.

You can claim tax relief on the cost of certain qualifying medical expenses incurred by you, your spouse or your dependants at the standard tax rate of 20% from 1st January 2010. Those not subject to taxation will not be able to claim this relief. You should note, however, that you cannot claim relief in respect of sums already received or due to be received from any public or local authority (e.g. a health board), a private health insurance policy or any other source (e.g. compensation). For example, your health insurance policy gives you €20 for each doctor's visit. However the visit actually costs €50. You can then claim tax relief on the €30 which wasn't covered by your health insurer. You must keep copies of all your receipts for 6 years to avail of this tax relief. Further details of these reliefs, including details of medical expenses that qualify for tax relief, are available from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Lo-call 1890 60 50 90 and www.revenue.ie).

You can take out insurance if you become a resident of Ireland. You may, however, have to serve a waiting period. If you are an EU national and you become ill or have an accident during a visit to any EU country you can get free or reduced cost healthcare on production of a European Health Insurance Card. You can obtain this card from your country of usual residence. (www.ehic.ie)

If you are over 23 and are switching from an RMI, other than the ESB Medical Provident Fund, to an Open Membership Insurer (OMI) then you are treated as a new entrant to the system and full waiting periods can be applied, even if you have already served your waiting period with your current RMI.

Our Tradesman Liability Policy is designed to accommodate a wide list of trades and occupations catering for self-employed, sole traders, and firms employing up to six people, including yourself.
The straightforward qualification criteria are:

1. no insurer has ever declined to insure you, or refuse to renew or terminate your Employers, Public or Products Liability insurance.

2. you or your directors or partners have never been convicted of or charged with (but not yet tried for) a criminal offence, other than a motoring offence, except as provided for under the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016.

3. you or your directors or partners have never been owners, principals or partners of any other firm involved in this or a similar business which has been declared bankrupt.

4. you have not suffered any losses or made any claims in the past three years for any of the perils or contingencies to which this insurance applies

5. the total amount paid to Bona-Fide Sub Contractors does not exceed €150,000 or 25% of your annual turnover whichever is the lesser, unless you have specifically advised us to the contrary.

6. where you are applying for Employer’s Liability cover your payments to Labour Only Sub Contractors do not exceed €5,000 per year, unless you have specifically advised us to the contrary.

7. any hot work you undertake, is carried out in accordance with the condition 13 i set out on page: 12 of the policy.

Your policy provides Public and Products Liability protection (with an option to include Employer’s Liability), against your legal liability to pay compensation, claimant’s costs and expenses following accidental bodily injury including death, illness disease to any person including employees, arising out of the course of their employment and loss or damage to property which is both material and tangible, arising out of or in connection with your business.
The standard Limits of Indemnity provided are:

• Employers Liability (when included): €13,000,000 any one claim and unlimited any one period of insurance.

• Public Liability: €2,600,000 any one claim and unlimited in any one period of insurance, with an option to increase the limit any one claim to €6,500,000

• Products Liability: €2,600,000 any one claim and in the aggregate in any one period of insurance, with an option to increase this limit to: €6,500,000

Each policy provides Public/Products Liability insurance, with an option to add Employer’s Liability cover. When Employer’s Liability is selected, is we automatically provide cover for payments to Labour Only Sub Contractors up to €7,500 and Bona Fide Sub Contractors up to 25% of your turnover*. Cover for higher amounts are readily available, for a small additional premium, although you must inform us in advance if you expect either of these limits to be exceeded.
In addition each policy provides cover for:

• Contractual Liability (subject to the terms of the policy we will indemnify the policyholder in respect of liability which arises out of the performance of any contract or agreement)

• Cross Liability (in the event the policyholder named in the schedule comprises more than one party, we treat each as though a separate policy had been issued to them.

• Compensation for court attendance up to a maximum of €5,000 in any one period of insurance

• Legal expenses arising from Health and Safety Legislation in respect of any criminal proceedings brought in respect of a breach of the Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989 or similar legislation in the Republic of Ireland.

The Tradesman policy does not require you to disclose wages estimates, nor do we require an adjustment at the end of each period of insurance. However policyholders are required to make a new statement of fact at each renewal date, detailing any changes in their business or number of employees for the forthcoming period of insurance.

* You are required to check that all Bona-Fide Sub Contractors employed hold their own Employers and Public Liability insurance appropriate to the work being carried out.

In line with all Liability Insurances, there are some exclusions and limitations.

• No cover is provided for employees who are operating offshore, or where compulsory motor insurance is required, where Employer’s Liability Insurance is included.

• Damage to property belonging to the policyholder or under the custody or control of the policyholder or any employee is excluded. (This exclusion does not however extend to property including motor vehicles belonging to an employee or visitor).

• Liability arising out of the ownership or use of any motor vehicle where compulsory cover is required under Road Traffic Act legislation, or any aircraft, or mechanically powered water vessel, is excluded.

• Liability in respect of any judgement or award made in the courts of the United States or Canada.

• The costs associated with remedying any defects or alleged defects in land or buildings or structures disposed of by the policyholder are excluded.

In addition we are unable to offer cover arising out of or in connection with:

any work on or in, or involving

• work on gasholders, towers, steeples, bridges, viaducts, blast furnaces, chimney or well shafts, dams or tunnels, mines, colliery winding gear and hangers for any purpose.

• work involving the making of excavations exceeding three metres in depth from the surface.

• work at a height greater than 10m from the ground surface or if working internally a height greater than 10m from the floor surface

• demolition of any kind unless such work forms part of a contract for the erection, reconstruction, alteration or repair of buildings or structures and provided that such demolition is by hand held tools only.

• piling, the use of explosives, water diversion, quarrying, tunneling or work under water.

• the felling or lopping of trees

• work in or on power stations, nuclear installations, refineries, bulk storage tanks, oil gas or chemical works, aircraft, hovercraft, watercraft, wharves, piers or jetties, railways, railway stations or airports (air-side).

• Stand-alone Roofing Contracts not forming part of a contract for the erection, reconstruction, alteration or repair of buildings or structures

Yes the Tradesman Policy covers you for “Hot Work”. However you are required to take certain safety precautions as a strict policy condition, as follows:

It is a condition precedent to our liability to make any payment under this policy that prior to commencement of such heat work (including the use of angle grinders where heat is generated) all the following precautions are complied with in each instance involving the use of heat (as defined below) by or on behalf of the Insured and taking place elsewhere than on the Insured’s own premises.

A – Application of heat by means of electric oxyacetylene or other welding or cutting equipment or angle grinders, blow lamps, blow torches, hot air guns or hot air strippers.

• Permission to use the equipment must be obtained from a person acting for the occupier of the site and a Hot Work Permit completed in the form provided by the occupier or using one devised by the Insured and covering the 8 issues / conditions as laid out herein and provided always that the completion of the Hot Work Permit shall not vary or waive any of the undertakings or conditions contained in this Exclusion.

• The area within 3 metres of the work (including in the case of work carried out on one side of a wall or partition, the opposite side of the wall or partition) must be cleared of all loose combustible material; other combustible material must be covered by sand or over-lapping sheets or screens of non-combustible material. Openings in floors walls ceilings roofs or ducts within the Hot Work Area are to be closed covered sealed or otherwise rendered impervious to the passage of fire.

• At least two adequate and appropriate portable Fire Extinguishers, in proper working order, must be kept in the immediate area of the work being undertaken and used immediately smoke or smouldering or flames are detected. All persons engaged in the Hot Work shall be made aware of the location of all fire-fighting equipment.

• A fire safety check of the area must be made approximately 60 minutes after the completion of each period of work and immediate steps taken to extinguish any smouldering or flames discovered.

• Blow lamps and blow torches must be filled in the open and must not be lit until immediately before use and must be extinguished immediately after use.

• A person must be appointed by the Insured to act as an observer to watch for signs of smoke or smouldering or flames.

• Gas cylinders not in immediate use must be removed to an open area at least 15 metres from where the heat is to be applied.

• Paragraph 6) above does not apply solely in respect of the application of heat by means of blow lamps, blow torches, hot air guns or hot air strippers.

B – Use of heat involving asphalt, bitumen, tar, pitch or lead heaters. The heating must be carried out in the open in a vessel designed for that purpose and, if carried out on a roof, the vessel must be placed on a non-combustible heat insulating base

Although it is a legal requirement to have a Safety Statement, it is not a condition precedent to liability under the Tradesman policy, that the policyholder must have a safety statement.

We strongly encourage our policyholders to comply with all legislative requirements, and recommend, if they have not done so already to visit the Health and Safety Authorities “BeSMART”, on-line facility at: http://www.hsa.ie, which covers many building and allied trades occupations, and where you can complete your own Safety Statement, and Risk Assessments.

This is known as the “Policy Excess”. For Employer’s Liability claims (where covered) there is no policy excess, however you will be required to meet the first €1,000 of any claim under your Public/Products Liability Section of the policy.

If You need to make a claim on Your policy the designated Claims Handler in respect of your policy is: OSG Outsource Services Group Ltd Merrion Hall, Strand Road Sandymount, Dublin 4, D04 P6C4, Ireland Email: fnol@osg.ie Telephone: +353 1 2611434