Fórsa and other public service unions have invoked a review clause in the Building Momentum public service agreement on foot of high and sustained inflation.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan proposed the move at the annual general meeting of ICTU’s Public Services Committee (PSC) earlier this month. Kevin, who chairs the committee, said sustained high inflation and strong public finances were grounds for a review of the agreement’s pay terms, which will see maximum pay increases of just 1.2% in 2022.

Clause 5.7 of Building Momentum says the agreement’s pay terms cannot be reviewed during the lifetime of the agreement unless “the assumptions underlying this agreement need to be revisited.” It says the parties must engage in such circumstances.

Speaking in advance of the meeting of the PSC, which represents almost all public servants in the State, Kevin said the assumptions underpinning the agreement clearly needed to be revisited in view of soaring inflation.

Inflation hit 5.6% in the year to February, its highest level for 21 years.

“It’s clear that the cost of living is on an upward trajectory, despite earlier hopes that prices would stabilise and fall. There was no assumption of the high and sustained cost-of-living increases in play when the agreement was negotiated in late 2020.

“Meanwhile, the public finances are in surplus, and both the unemployment rate and the projected deficit are much lower than anticipated at the time Building Momentum was negotiated and accepted by public servants in ballots,” said Kevin.

Early last month, Fórsa raised the issue a the Labour-Employer Economic Forum (LEEF), which brings together the most senior Government, union and employer representatives.

“I identified three urgent actions – including a confirmation that talks on a successor to Building Momentum would open in May – which are required to stabilise the agreement against the background of these radically-changed economic circumstances. In the absence of any concrete movement on these necessary actions since then, and with the cost of living continuing to soar, it’s time to trigger the Building Momentum review clause,” said Kevin.

Once triggered, the Building Momentum review clause requires engagement between the parties. Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath has only said that he expects talks on a successor to the agreement later this year.

The deal expires in December, and unions are pressing for early talks to address inflation and ensure that pay adjustments agreed for 2023 can be factored into this year’s Budget announcement.

Fórsa has told the Oireachtas Health Committee ongoing and persistent overcrowding in hospitals will continue unless 96 new community healthcare networks (CHNs) are established, as envisaged under the Sláintecare programme.

In an oral hearing earlier this month, the union told the committee that, if implemented fully and without delay, this measure would allow the health service to provide appropriate care, with health and social care professionals delivering the full range of necessary services in the community.

The union said a necessary shift of care delivery from acute hospitals into the community is vital, and that the only way to avoid hospital admissions, and reduce pressure on acute hospitals, is through initiatives that will see care delivered within the community.

Fórsa also highlighted the need to transition to public-only contracts for hospital consultants and State-employed general practitioners, and a properly resourced home support service.

The Oireachtas committee convened the hearing to discuss the ongoing and persistent overcrowding crisis in hospitals.

Fórsa represents more 30,000 health workers working in hospitals, community health system, residential and social care settings, as well as at the corporate centre of health service planning and delivery, and include health and social care professionals, clerical, administrative, management and technical staff.

Its assistant general secretary Catherine Keogh said the public discourse about health services was frequently driven by headlines about waiting lists and the numbers of patients on trolleys.

Consequently, the discourse is always stuck in crisis mode, and this contributes to a wider sense of understandable anxiety about access to healthcare when people need it. Lists and trolley numbers are useful statistical information, because they illustrate the symptoms of an underlying problem.

“It’s Fórsa’s view that the ongoing and persistent overcrowding crisis in our hospitals – and the underlying problems that drive it – can only be tackled by ensuring that Sláintecare, and in particular, the establishment of the 96 new community healthcare networks is delivered,” she said.

The union pointed out that the Sláintecare report and subsequent implementation plans provide both a durable solution and a roadmap for implementation.

“Sláintecare has cross party support. Sláintecare has citizens’ support. Sláintecare has workers’ support. We would ask that you consider then what are the real inhibitors to its implementation? Why five years since the publication of the initial report is there still the same unrelenting pressures on our hospitals and on our members working in those hospitals?” said Catherine.

She said the only way to avoid hospital admissions and reduce pressure on acute hospitals is through initiatives that will see care delivered within the community. A new report on The Irish State Post-Pandemic, commissioned by Fórsa and produced by the TASC think-tank, was published in February. It included recommendations on the provision of greater integration of government agencies such as home care and health services.

A video of the debate can be viewed here and a transcript of the full committee debate is available here.

Just over half of female staff in a large Dublin local authority have had to take time off work because of their periods. But only 12% said they were comfortable enough to tell their line manager the real reason for their work absence.

A recent survey by Fórsa’s Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Branch also found that one-in-five respondents had been diagnosed with a specific menstrual health condition like premenstrual dysphoric disorder, endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome.

The branch says this reflects broader society, where one in ten people who menstruate are thought to have endometriosis, and up to 25% suffer menstrual issues.

Almost 80% of respondents said remote working had improved their experience of menstruation, with almost one-in-nine saying it was a plus not to have to commute when experiencing period-related cramps or tiredness.

Other benefits included not having to worry about leakages and staining, as well as not worrying about finding somewhere to change pads, tampons or wash a menstrual cup.

Being able to get more comfortable at home, with better access to measures to alleviate pain, was also cited as important.

When it came to people’s experience of menopause, over 80% of respondents said access to flexible arrangements on ad hoc basis as required would help. Better training for managers and staff was also considered important by 81% of those participating in the survey.

Almost all respondents – 98% - said they’d like to see a workplace period-friendly policy introduced, with measures including better toilet facilities, wipe-down darker fabrics and flexible working.

Branch secretary Roisin Cronin said the branch decided to conduct the survey after the issue arose in conversations with colleagues and union members.

“The response was quite overwhelming, with the comments providing a very rich insight into the difficulties, and isolation, that people experience as a result of menstruation and menopause. I’d expect similar results if the same survey was conducted in any large or medium-sized workplace.

“As a result, a motion was brought to our annual general meeting, calling for the introduction of period-friendly measures. It was passed unanimously, and we will be bringing a motion to Fórsa’s biennial conference in May to raise these issues nationally,” she said.

The biennial conference sets the union’s policy and priorities for the next two years.

Fórsa has welcomed the Government’s announcement that, later this year, it will introduce an obligation on medium and large employers to report on their gender pay gaps. But the union said it wants a quick expansion of the number of companies covered by the new law.

Initially, the gender pay gap reporting requirement will be limited to organisations with more than 250 employees. This only covers a third of the workforce.

Fórsa says it’s imperative that the threshold rapidly falls to 50 employees once the details of the reporting process are worked out.

The Government announcement, which coincided with International Women’s Day, said that the employers covered must report the pay gap amongst staff on a ‘snapshot’ date in June 2022 and on the same day in December 2022.

They will also have to publish a statement setting out the reasons for the gender pay gap in their company, and the measures they are taking to address it.

The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 introduced the legislative basis for gender pay gap reporting, and regulations under the Act are expected to be published in the coming weeks.

Fórsa has been calling for effective legislation on gender pay gap reporting since 2018. The union says it’s a mechanism to encourage employers into tangible action to bridge the gap. Ireland currently has an average gender pay gap of around 14.4%.

National secretary Ashley Connolly, who leads Fórsa’s Equality Committee, said she was pleased to see that regulations would give employers a duty to publish the measures they are taking to close the pay gap. “This would give Fórsa and other unions an opportunity to negotiate actions to address pay inequality,” she said.

The reporting requires employers to publish data by pay band and job classification, as well as giving data on bonus pay, the pay gaps for part-time employees and temps, and the proportions of male and female employees in various pay bands.

Irish Congress of trade Unions (ICTU) equality officer David Joyce said that, once the reports are published, employers must discuss the gap with workers and their representatives and agree on a joint approach to tackling any gaps identified in an effective manner.

The State must rapidly strengthen its support for social dialogue between Government, unions, employers, communities and civil society organisations, or risk failing to meet its climate action obligations under Irish law and international agreements, according to Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan.

He was speaking earlier this month at the launch of the Just Transition Alliance – a coalition of unions and environmental groups dedicated to achieving effective climate action without adverse impacts on jobs and communities.

Kevin said that, so far, there had been no formal consultation on the jobs impact of official carbon-reduction proposals, despite strong advice from the Climate Change Advisory Council that official carbon budgets should follow proactive engagement with social partners.

The new alliance called on the Government to establish a ‘national just transition commission,’ comprised of representatives of Government, trade unions, employers, affected communities and civil society. It says this commission should be charged with making proposals for an economy-wide framework for a just transition in advance of the publication of legislation.

“Job losses and lower living standards are not the automatic outcome of climate action. They come instead from poor policy and bad planning. It will not be possible to build and sustain public support for vital climate action if it’s allowed to become synonymous with job losses and lower living standards,” said Kevin.

The Just Transition Alliance is an ICTU initiative which includes Fórsa, Siptu, Friends of the Earth and TASC, Ireland’s think tank for action on social change. It aims to work with other like-minded organisations to put the internationally supported just transition model at the centre of Ireland’s official response to the climate crisis.

Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUF) told the launch that trust and confidence were vital to ensure that working people and their communities support the rapid action necessary to stabilise the planet.

Friends of the Earth director Oisín Coghlan said: “We need to cut polluting emissions fast enough to avoid complete climate breakdown. And fairly enough to leave no one behind. A just ttransition for workers and communities affected by the race to zero must be at the heart of this effort.

Shana Cohen, the Director of the progressive think-tank TASC said the war in Ukraine had highlighted the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

“We can’t act against the impact of climate change with high and persistent levels of inequality, because families and individuals won’t have the resources to engage, while the public must also have confidence that climate action works for them.

“The best policy response would be for the government to think long-term and more comprehensively about how changes in jobs, lifestyles, education and training, and income influence effective climate action, and likewise, the contribution of civil society and local government to bolstering public confidence in government decision-making,” she said.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has launched two new statutory codes of practice, which unions will be able to invoke in pay inequality and workplace harassment and sexual harassment cases.

Its code of practice on equal pay provides unions, employers, and workers with guidance on the legal right to equal pay, how to eliminate pay inequality, and how to resolve pay disputes.

A statutory instrument has also been tabled by equality minister Roderic O’Gorman, which will make the new codes legally admissible in evidence in proceedings before the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. This means they can be used to support cases taken by unions on behalf of workers.

A separate code of practice on sexual harassment and harassment at work sets out what is meant by employment-related sexual harassment, how it can be prevented, and the necessary steps to ensure that employers deal with it and stop it happening again.

Sinéad Gibney, chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, said the codes must guide employers on making their workplaces safe and equal places to work.

“In no circumstances is harassment or sexual harassment at work acceptable. It violates a person’s dignity as well as creating an intimidating, degrading and humiliating environment. We have been granted new legal powers to take on instances of egregious gender pay gaps, and we are considering now how we can leverage these new legal powers to create real and lasting change in eliminating pay inequality,” she said.

These commission has also been given with new legal powers to tackle gender pay gaps in organisations through The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. 

The act, which was signed into law by the President in July 2021 but has yet to be commenced, will require organisations with over 250 employers to report and publish information relating to their gender pay gap, and, where there is a gap, to explain why there is a gap and what measures are being taken to reduce it. Reporting by organisations is expected to commence this year.

The harassment and sexual harassment code defines sexual harassment as unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women and men at work.

Harassment is defined as any form of unwanted conduct related to any of the prohibited grounds which violates a person’s dignity and creates an intimidating, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

The code says people in precarious work and new workers, including immigrant workers, are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and harassment. It sets out policies and procedures that establish work environments which are free of harassment and respect everyone’s dignity.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is Ireland’s national human rights institution and is recognised as such by the United Nations. The commission is also Ireland’s national equality body for the purpose of a range of EU anti-discrimination measures.

Read the codes HERE.

Fórsa added its voice at the National Women’s Council Dublin rally, which called for progress on gender-based violence and other women’s issues this International Women’s Day. The 5th March protest was held outside Dáil Éireann to call for political leadership and action on women's equality.

The union supported calls for a reformed healthcare system with women at its centre, greater female representation when decisions affecting women’s lives are made, and access to quality public services including childcare and housing.

Speaking at the rally, ICTU general secretary Patricia King highlighted Ireland’s 14% gender pay gap. She said the lack of affordable childcare greatly contributed to the disproportionate burden of caring responsibilities, which led to women working fewer hours.

The rally also heard that one-parent families were at the centre of our housing crisis, and that Traveller women continued to have a lower life expectancy than settled women. And it called for significant investment to boost crucial public services and tackle the high costs of living.

Ireland currently has some of the highest childcare costs in Europe and some of the lowest paid childcare workers.

Fórsa has demanded an interdepartmental plan to tackle gender-based violence in a new national strategy for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which is set to be launched later this month.

Meanwhile, Fórsa’s Equality Committee has also called for the urgent introduction of legislation and a more consistent approach to tackle gender-based violence in Ireland. The union has demanded an interdepartmental plan to tackle gender-based violence in the new national strategy.

Fórsa official Lisa Connell also represented the union at the rally, and said it was essential that the voices and interests of working women were represented. 

Fórsa has recently welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will this year introduce an obligation on medium and large employers to report on their gender pay gaps. But the union said it wants a quick expansion of the number of companies covered by the new law.

Trade unions have previously been shown to play a key role in achieving a ‘zero’ gender pay gap. According to the chief executive of An Post – one the rare Irish companies to reduce its gender pay gap to zero – a heavily-unionised workplace is key to achieving gender pay equality.

An Post started publishing its pay gap figures three years ago, and this had contributed to the elimination of the divide.

Raising the pension age will save less money than initially thought according to research conducted by the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

It has calculated that raising the pension age would save 21% less than earlier projections by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC), which the Government has been working off.

The current State retirement age of 66 was set to rise to 67 in 2021 and to 68 by 2028. But these targets were abandoned after the 2020 general election.

The IFAC had estimated that pension expenditure would go up by 5% of national income by 2050, and said that increasing the pension age would reduce this increase by 0.7 percentage points, or 16% of increased State pension costs.

But the DSP figures challenge this. In a briefing document to cabinet in 2020, it indicated that the savings made by increasing the pension age would be a lot less as previously thought.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that, after the age of 65, workers have 13 years of healthy life expectancy. Raising the pension age by two or three years would have an enormous impact in the lives of those who have retired.

Fórsa has repeatedly called for the pension age to remain at its current level. In its recent report on ‘The Irish State Post-Pandemic,’ the union recommended maintaining the qualifying age for the State pension at 66 and increasing expenditure on public pensions by up to 1% of gross national income.

Fórsa is giving half a million Euro (€500,000) to two organisations providing humanitarian relief to people who’ve been displaced by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Established three weeks ago, the union’s Ukraine Appeal raised almost €250,000 in donations from Fórsa members and branches. The Fórsa National Executive Committee met on Wednesday and decided to top up the amount from the union’s Developing World Fund to bring the total raised to €500,000.

The proceeds of the Fórsa appeal will be shared equally between the Irish Red Cross and a special trade union solidarity fund jointly established by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Each of these appeals is currently supporting humanitarian efforts on the ground.

The Fórsa appeal set a donation target of €50,000 when it was established earlier this month. But the union repeatedly increased the target as the solidarity and generosity of its members and branches exceeded expectations. Almost 2,000 individual Fórsa members have made contributions, along with 98 of the union’s 200 branches.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the appeal was established to provide a vehicle for union members and activists to express their solidarity through practical support.

“The incredible response from Fórsa members echoes the generosity and support for the Ukrainian people coming from all walks of Irish society. It’s humbling to see such a magnificent display of solidarity from ordinary working people as we remember those who have died, those who are grieving, and those who have lost everything because of this terrible war and illegal invasion,” he said.

Irish Red Cross secretary general Liam O’Dwyer expressed his thanks to Fórsa for an “overwhelming support” of its Ukraine crisis appeal.

“This tremendous contribution will directly assist our ongoing efforts to provide emergency assistance, both within Ukraine itself and in the neighbouring countries where more than 3,000,000 people have been forced to flee. The Fórsa aid will directly support the emergency provision of water, food, medical aid and treatment, and shelter,” he said.

Irishwoman Esther Lynch, who is deputy general secretary of the ETUC, said the solidarity shown by Fórsa members will make a real difference to the men, women and children of Ukraine.

“I am proud of the support that Irish workers and their families are extending to Ukraine in its darkest hour. Global solidarity is a cornerstone of international labour movement values and, by supporting the people of Ukraine, Fórsa is following in the great tradition of the Irish trade unions,” she said.

Fórsa’s honorary treasurer Kevin O’Malley said the union was grateful to branches for their wonderful contributions and praised union members for their generosity. He said the union’s Developing World Fund provided ongoing support to education, development and human rights projects across the globe.

“Funded by 3% of every member’s union subscription, the Fórsa Developing World Fund gives over €600,000 a year to projects around the world. This expression of solidarity means we can make ongoing contributions to human rights and development, as well as responding to humanitarian emergencies in Ukraine and elsewhere,” he said.

Fórsa will host an online briefing on its recently-launched report on ‘The Irish state post-pandemic’ between 12.30pm and 13.30pm on Thursday, 7th April. You can register for the lunchtime event here.

The report was commissioned by Fórsa trade union and produced by TASC, Ireland’s think tank for action on social change.

This analysis is on the political and economic space for enhancing the role of a visionary State focused on improving public services and addressing Ireland’s societal needs through social mobility, the reduction of inequality, and the deep integration of climate action into economic development.

The report also examines the political and economic constraints to expanding the Irish state and uses case studies to explore how public policy can fulfil human and social needs. It makes recommendations about how the state can address challenges in care, renewable energy, and higher education.

The findings will be presented by the President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Kevin Callinan.

Members, activists and trade union officials are encouraged to attend. You can register for the event here.

A copy of the report is available here.

Get more information from Mehak Dugal at mdugal@forsa.ie

Transport workers have called on union members in Ireland and elsewhere to support their justice campaign for 800 P&O Ferries workers who were sacked over a Zoom call last week. On Saint Patrick’s Day, management gave staff 30 minutes’ notice of a Zoom meeting, where it told them their contracts were terminated with immediate effect.

The seafarers are being replaced by non-union, agency workers. The British Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which represents many P&O staff, subsequently claimed their agency replacements were to be paid as little as £1.80 (or less than €2.20) an hour.

It is understood that at least 60 employees impacted by the sudden termination are from Ireland.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), which represents transport unions across the globe, has said the company’s callous actions lacked “any form of basic decency” and appeared to be a violation of UK labour law and international labour standards.

It has asked for Fórsa members and other trade unionists to sign its petition to pledge solidarity with the workers.

The ITF said no one should lose their livelihood without any warning. “We won’t let this go unchallenged,” it said.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said the company’s behaviour “sets a dangerous precedent,” which risked copycat actions by other employers who may seek to lay staff off.

The group of unions representing P&O workers have sought an urgent meeting with the employer and the UK Government. They are demanding respectful industrial relations and social dialogue to ensure that no worker endures being sacked via Zoom again. It also wants a guarantee that this will not happen in any other DP World subsidiary.

P&O Ferries is a subsidiary of DP World and this action is understood to be part of the parent company’s wider plan for P&O Ferries. The company has suspended sailings “for the next few days.”

ITF general secretary, Stephen Cotton is meeting with DP World in Dubai at the end of the month and will hand deliver its global protest letter directly to its chief executive officer, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

Please sign the unions’ P&O Global Letter of Protest HERE.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has expressed serious concern over Leo Varadkar’s St Patrick’s day visit to Colombia. In a letter to the Tánaiste, ICTU general secretary Patricia King raised the extensive human right issues and ongoing violence in the country, and urged him to raise these issues with the Government.

Colombia is the world’s most dangerous place for trade unionists. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) counted 22 murders of the country’s union representatives between March 2020 and April 2021. Colombia’s National Trade Union School says there have been over 3,200 trade unionist murders since 1971.

Both Fórsa and ICTU have been working with the trade-union funded organisation Justice for Colombia. Union delegations to the south American country have facilitated first-hand experience of the challenges faced by trade unionists and other human rights defenders.

Varadkar met Colombian president Ivan Duque, who is a member of the Democratic Centre political party. Members of his party have falsely accused the teachers’ union FECODE of seeking to indoctrinate or harm children from low-income families.

The smears on this and other organisations amount to attempts to encourage further aggression towards trade unionists.

Duque ad Varadkar signed a new police cooperation and security agreement in a bid to tackle transnational crime and drug trafficking. But it doesn’t cover violent crime related to trade-unionism.

Fórsa members can now avail of a will-writing service, at no additional cost, by contacting our service provider HERE. 

ARAG, who provide the union’s legal advice, domestic assistance and counselling helplines, has created an online portal where members can create their will. Members can access the portal and download their exclusive voucher code HERE.

An estimated 70% of Irish people don’t have a will, and over 45% have started preparations but haven’t got any further. It is important to have a will so that when you die, your money, property and possessions will be shared out according to your wishes.

The service is designed for all. Whether you’re single, married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting. With just a few clicks, your will can be printed and signed and working for you.

Get more information HERE. 

Fórsa members can continue to avail of free counselling, legal advice and domestic assistance by contacting the union’s helplines, which now have new phone numbers. Qualified personnel are on hand to support Fórsa members 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the following lines:

• Legal help in bodily injury cases: 0818-776644
• Legal advice: 0818-776644
• Confidential counselling: 1800-776655
• Domestic assistance: 0818-776644

Fórsa members can also avail of a health information service, staffed by qualified nurses, on health and fitness and non-diagnostic advice on medical matters. Advice on allergies, the side effects of drugs and how to improve general fitness are also available as part of this service.

The health and medical information line can be reached on 0818 254164, and is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public and bank holidays.

If you call outside these times, a message will be taken and a return call arranged within the operating hours. More information can be found HERE.

Workers who wish to join Fórsa can to do so using a new ‘join online’ function on the union’s website.

Going live with the new system follows several months of research, preparation and testing aimed at making it easier than ever to join the union. It also goes live as the union continues to process a large number of new membership applications, as interest in joining the union has surged since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan commented: “The current crisis has created the necessity to be able to carry out our business in different ways. Work on this project had commenced before the Covid-19 crisis took hold, and its completion marks a vital step as we tackle the challenges of living in changed times.

“We can see that more people want to join a union in response to what’s happening in the wider economy. It’s vital that they can take those initial steps quickly and easily, and making the membership application process more accessible is part of that process.

“This is a crucial new venture to enable Fórsa to substantially increase our membership - and to strengthen the union’s hand - at a critical time in the union’s development,” he said.

The online facility is a streamlined and simplified membership application process, and will be the quickest and easiest way to join the union. All incoming applications will continue to be subject to check-off and approval by Fórsa branches and the national executive committee, while the new online system is designed to ease the administrative burden on branches.

You can join Fórsa online at https://join.forsa.ie/

KennCo travel insurance offers Fórsa members single trip and multi-trip insurance for individuals, couples and families. Low cost annual multi-trip travel insurance for Fórsa members starts from just €59, which includes cover for you, your partner and dependent children. Single trip insurance pricing starts at €12.86.*

KennCo is offering Fórsa members the chance to win a €150 One4All voucher. All Fórsa members who purchase or renew a KennCo Travel Insurance policy between December 1st 2021 and 31st March 2022 will be entered into the draw.

KennCo travel insurance features:

• Worldwide and European cover available
• 365-day medical assistance
• Lost baggage
• Public liability
• Missed departure
• Medical and emergency expenses
• Cancellation and curtailment
• Personal accident
• Winter sports included in all annual policies and available on single trip policies.
• Winter sports equipment, hire of replacement ski equipment, ski pack, piste closure, travel delay due to avalanche
• Cover in relation to Covid-19 *

Travel insurance policies taken out on or after 1st September 2021:

• Medical and repatriation costs in the event you fall ill with Covid-19 whilst overseas
• Cancellation if you test positive for Covid-19 within 14 days of the departure date of your trip
• Provided prior to your trip commencing the DFA has not issued advice to avoid non-essential travel or advised do not travel to your destination or any country/area you are travelling through.
• There is no cover under any other section for claims relating to Covid-19.

Terms and conditions and excesses will apply. Get a travel insurance quote HERE.

*Dependent children of 17 years and under can travel independently for up to and including 21 days. Between 18-22 years they can still be covered under the family policy provided they are still in full time education and travelling with either parent. Annual cover applies to individuals from 18-70

years of age. Single trip cover applies to individuals up to and including 79 years of age. You must be living with your partner for at least six months.

Terms and conditions apply. For more travel insurance information check our website. Competition terms and conditions are on our website.