What is the difference between public liability and product liability?

Public liability covers injury to people or damage to their property arising from the business and its premises. Product liability covers injury or damage caused by something you make, sell or supply after it has left your hands.

Do I need employers' liability insurance?

If you employ anyone, it covers your legal liability for injury or illness they suffer through their work. Whether you must hold it, and at what limit, can depend on contracts you sign and the sector you work in; tell us who you employ and we will go through it.

How much does commercial insurance cost?

There is no standard price; a quote is based on the details you give about the business and the limits it needs. A quote with your own details is the only real answer.

What is business interruption insurance?

Cover for loss of income while the business cannot trade after an insured event such as a fire or flood at the premises. Check the policy for which events trigger it, for how long, and what counts as income.

Do I insure my business premises for market value?

For home insurance the CCPC says to insure for the rebuild cost, not market value, and that an underinsured property may not be fully covered. The SCSI calculator gives a minimum figure for estate-type houses only; for commercial premises get a surveyor’s figure and ask what basis the policy uses.

Can I insure several vans and cars on one policy?

A fleet policy covers a number of vehicles under one policy, on the three levels of motor cover. We will ask for each vehicle and, as Citizens Information notes is required, each named driver’s driver number.

What do I need to get a commercial quote?

What the business does and where, turnover and employee numbers, the premises and their rebuild cost, vehicles and drivers, claims history, and any contract that specifies the cover you need. Call 0818 92 92 42 or leave your details in the form and one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back.

Get a commercial insurance quote

Commercial insurance is a set of separate covers. Which ones a business needs depends on what it does, who it employs, where it works and what it owns. Call 0818 92 92 42, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, or leave your details in the form below, and one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back to go through what applies. GMIB.ie has arranged insurance from Killarney since 1986.

GMIB.ie is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

The covers a business may need

Public liability covers your legal liability for injury to members of the public or damage to their property arising from the business. A contract, a landlord or a local authority may require it before you can work on a site or hold an event.

Employers’ liability covers your legal liability for injury or illness to employees arising from their work. Product liability covers injury or damage caused by something you make, sell or supply. Professional indemnity covers claims that advice or a service you provided caused a client financial loss.

Commercial property and contents cover the premises, fittings, stock and equipment. For home insurance the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the State’s consumer watchdog, says to insure for the rebuild cost, not the market value, and that an underinsured property may not be fully covered on a claim; ask what basis your commercial policy uses and insure to it.

Business interruption covers loss of income while the business cannot trade after an insured event. Commercial motor and fleet cover the vehicles, on the three levels of motor cover, with the driver number required for every named driver.

Getting a commercial insurance quote

Have ready what the business does and where, its turnover and number of employees, the premises and their rebuild cost, a list of vehicles and drivers, any claims in the past few years, and any contract that specifies the cover or limits you need. For businesses within its scope, the Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019 requires answers that are honest and given with reasonable care; for every business, an insurer prices on what it is told, so answer fully.

Compare quotes on the same limits, the same excess and the same exclusions; a lower premium with a lower liability limit is a different policy. A single van or car used for work is quoted on our van insurance and car insurance pages. A let property is landlord insurance.

Sources: Citizens Information – motor insurance; CCPC – home insurance; Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) – House Rebuild Calculator; Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019. Last reviewed September 2026.

Commercial Insurance in Ireland: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between public liability and product liability?
Public liability covers injury to people or damage to their property arising from the business and its premises. Product liability covers injury or damage caused by something you make, sell or supply after it has left your hands.
Do I need employers' liability insurance?
If you employ anyone, it covers your legal liability for injury or illness they suffer through their work. Whether you must hold it, and at what limit, can depend on contracts you sign and the sector you work in; tell us who you employ and we will go through it.
How much does commercial insurance cost?
There is no standard price; a quote is based on the details you give about the business and the limits it needs. A quote with your own details is the only real answer.
What is business interruption insurance?
Cover for loss of income while the business cannot trade after an insured event such as a fire or flood at the premises. Check the policy for which events trigger it, for how long, and what counts as income.
Do I insure my business premises for market value?
For home insurance the CCPC says to insure for the rebuild cost, not market value, and that an underinsured property may not be fully covered. The SCSI calculator gives a minimum figure for estate-type houses only; for commercial premises get a surveyor’s figure and ask what basis the policy uses.
Can I insure several vans and cars on one policy?
A fleet policy covers a number of vehicles under one policy, on the three levels of motor cover. We will ask for each vehicle and, as Citizens Information notes is required, each named driver’s driver number.
What do I need to get a commercial quote?
What the business does and where, turnover and employee numbers, the premises and their rebuild cost, vehicles and drivers, claims history, and any contract that specifies the cover you need. Call 0818 92 92 42 or leave your details in the form and one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back.