• Books by Donal Ryan, Eilish Fisher and illustrator Dermot Flynn, Graham Norton, Jane Casey, Johnny Sexton and Seán Ronayne nominated for significant accolade

 

• Winner will be revealed during one-hour television special on RTÉ One presented by Oliver Callan on Thursday, 19^th December

 

 

Books by Donal Ryan, Eilish Fisher and illustrator Dermot Flynn, Graham Norton, Jane Casey, Johnny Sexton and Seán Ronayne are in the running for the accolade of ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’.

The six titles competing for the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year Award were drawn from the category winners at the An Post Irish Book Awards, and were chosen on the principle of the highest number of votes secured during the shortlist voting process across all categories.

The six nominated titles are category winners of the Eason Novel of the Year, the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Senior), the Ireland AM Popular Fiction Book of the Year, the Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year, the Eason Sports Book of the Year and the Dubray Biography of the Year:

Heart, Be at Peace – Donal Ryan (Doubleday, Penguin Random House)

• In Heart, Be at Peace, which can be read independently, Donal picks up the twenty-one voices from The Spinning Heart ten years on, in 2019. Small-town Ireland has rebounded from the economic crash, with work restored and past struggles seemingly behind. However, beneath the surface, old and new grudges are simmering, and a new threat is quietly emerging. As young people are lured by the allure of quick money, the older generation battles an intangible enemy, setting the stage for a community on the brink of turmoil.

 

Fia and the Last Snow Deer – Eilish Fisher, illustrated by Dermot Flynn (Puffin, Penguin Random House Children’s

• Fia and the Last Snow Deer is described as a powerful and beautiful debut verse novel set in snowy pre-historic Ireland, brought to life with stunning illustrations from Dermot Flynn. Fia and her snow deer, Solas, share a deep bond, but their village, trapped in an eternal winter, believes Solas is key to fulfilling a prophecy that demands a devastating sacrifice to restore sunlight. Refusing to allow the worst to happen, Fia and her cousin Mish, alongside Solas, flee into the wilderness to seek the mythical Deer Mother, who holds the power to awaken the sun. Facing harsh landscapes and lurking dangers, the pair must navigate risky choices that will determine the fate of their village and their beloved companion.

 

Frankie – Graham Norton (Coronet)

• Frankie is described as a dazzling, richly woven story by Graham Norton, spanning decades and continents. It follows Frankie Powell, a woman who has spent her life on the edges, observing but never leading. From conservative 1940s Ireland to the vibrant art scene of 1960s New York and back to her modest London flat, Frankie’s life unfolds in fragments shared with her young Irish carer, Damian. Through her memories of ambitious artists, aspiring writers, and captivating personalities, we see how her quiet presence shaped events in ways she never anticipated. A poignant exploration of identity, missed opportunities, and the unexpected paths life takes, the novel reveals that even lives lived on the periphery can hold deep meaning and unexpected influence.

 

A Stranger in the Family – Jane Casey (Hemlock Press)

• A Stranger in the Family is the eleventh book in the bestselling detective series featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan. Sixteen years after nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall disappeared, her mother, Helena, is found dead alongside her husband. However, DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent quickly uncover layers of secrets within the Marshall family. As they delve deeper, they realize someone is willing to kill to keep the truth buried. Maeve must unravel the mystery of Rosalie’s disappearance to prevent further danger and finally uncover the chilling truth.

 

Obsessed: The Autobiography – Johnny Sexton with Peter O’Reilly (Penguin Sandycove)

• Johnny Sexton’s autobiography recounts his journey from being an overlooked rugby player at 24 to becoming Ireland’s most accomplished and inspiring sportsperson. Chronicling his career highs – four European Cups, four Six Nations titles (including two Grand Slams), historic wins in the Southern Hemisphere, and the World Player of the Year award – Sexton reflects on how he helped transform Leinster and Ireland to rugby powerhouses. With honesty and insight, he shares stories of his childhood, pivotal relationships with teammates and coaches, and his thoughts on the game that defined his extraordinary career.

 

Nature Boy: A Journey of Birdsong and Belonging – Seán Ronayne (Hachette Books Ireland)

• Nature Boy is Seán Ronayne’s inspiring memoir of self-discovery, passion, and the healing power of nature. Growing up in Cork, Seán found solace in the woods, learning to identify birds and plants with his father and grandfather. Despite being labelled “Nature Boy” by peers, his love for ornithology blossomed into a career. At 32, Seán discovered he was autistic, a revelation that brought clarity to his life and underscored his unique connection to the natural world. In 2021, he embarked on an ambitious journey to sound-record all of Ireland’s regularly occurring bird species, showcasing both the beauty of birds and the urgent need to protect their habitats. Nature Boy celebrates individuality, belonging, and the wonder of the natural world.

 

Larry Mac Hale, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards says:

“Six incredible titles are in the running for the prestigious An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024. Celebrating the very best of Irish writing, these books highlight the diversity and talent that define Ireland’s incredible literary landscape. From captivating fiction and compelling memories, to crime and a beautifully illustrated children’s book, this year’s top six books reflect the remarkable range of voices and stories that have captured the heart and imagination of Irish readers this year. I would like to congratulate all the nominees on their success and wish them the very best of luck.”

The overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’ winner will now be decided by a distinguished panel of judges, chaired by an Irish Book Awards board member.

 

The judging panel consists of:

• Maria Dickenson, Judging Chair – General Manager of Dubray and Board Member of the An Post Irish Book Awards

 

• Madeleine Keane – Literary Editor of the Sunday Independent, lecturer at University College Dublin, and Chair of Children’s Books Ireland

 

• Cyril McGrane – A certified public accountant by profession, Cyril has worked with An Post for the last 27 years, holding a succession of senior roles in retail, operational and logistics management. Cyril is An Post’s key liaison lead with IPC and UPU and he is leading An Post’s Customs 2020 and Brexit programmes

 

• Elaina Ryan – CEO of Children’s Books Ireland and Co-Artistic Director of Tower and Tales Children’s Books Festival in Co. Wexford

 

• Alex Clark – A critic, journalist and broadcaster, Alex is patron of the Cambridge Literary Festival and has judged many literary awards, including the Booker Prize

 

 

One of the six titles will be revealed as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’ during a one-hour television special on RTÉ One hosted by Oliver Callan on Thursday, 19^th December at 10:15pm.

Since its inception, the An Post Irish Book of the Year Award has been won by a series of landmark titles which have gone on to become Christmas bestsellers and firm favourites with readers.

Previous winners of the An Post Irish Book of the Year Award include Paul Murray for The Bee Sting, Sally Hayden for My Fourth Time, We Drowned, Fintan O’Toole for We Don’t Know Ourselves, Doireann Ní Ghríofa for A Ghost in the Throat, the late Vicky Phelan for Overcoming, Emilie Pine for Notes to Self, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy and John Borgonovo for Atlas of the Irish Revolution, Mike McCormack for Solar Bones, Louise O’Neill for Asking For It, Mary Costello for Academy St, Donal Ryan for The Spinning Heart, Michael Harding for Staring at Lakes, and Belinda McKeon for Solace.

 

Tune into RTÉ One at 10:15pm on Thursday 19^th December to find out who wins the

An Post Irish Book of the Year Award 2024

The Advertising Standards Authority, the independent advertising self-regulatory body responsible for promoting, regulating and enforcing the highest standards of marketing communications in Ireland, has signed an agreement with Coimisiún na Meán to establish a framework of cooperation between both organisations in matters of common interest relating to advertising and commercial marketing communication.

 

The cooperation agreement aims to enhance oversight and enforcement of standards in the ever-evolving advertising and media landscape, including online platforms and social media.

 

The partnership between both organisations further positions the Advertising Standards Authority as a leader in the advertising landscape, and both organisations will meet and engage regularly to discuss key trends , focusing on a range of matters of common interest, including:

 

• Promoting awareness of, and supporting compliance with, relevant regulatory requirements relating to advertisements and commercial marketing communications
• Protecting the interests of the recipients of advertisements and commercial marketing communications by seeking to ensure that those advertisements and communications are legal, decent, honest and truthful
• Seeking to ensure that children and at-risk individuals do not see advertising and commercial marketing communications that may be harmful and that consumers can have confidence in advertising and other forms of commercial marketing communication

This agreement also states that the Advertising Standards Authority and Coimisiún na Meán are committed to the following principles of cooperation:

 

• Providing an effective complaints process to recipients of advertisements or commercial marketing communications who wish to make valid complaints
• Promoting high standards among media services, online platforms and advertising bodies in adhering to provisions of Irish and European law applying to the matters of common interest
• Promulgating effective and robust regulatory codes and rules
• Protecting children and other at-risk individuals from advertisements or commercial marketing communications that would be harmful
• Promoting active dialogue and exchanges on the matters of common interest
• Exploration of potential avenues of joint research activity to further understanding of trends in the regulatory landscape
• Maintaining their respective independent regulatory roles and functions

The Advertising Standards Authority has collaborated effectively with Coimisiún na Meán on a number of Irish and European projects.

 

These include participation on ASA’s Independent Complaints Committee; engagement on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022; and the EU Audio Visual Media Services Directive, which encourages EU Member States to recognise the role that effective co-regulation and self-regulation can play as complementary policy instruments to the legislative, judicial, and administrative mechanisms in place.

 

Commenting on the agreement, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, says:

“This partnership is a significant milestone in our mission to ensure that advertising across all platforms is legal, decent, honest, and truthful. By working closely with Coimisiún na Meán, we can further address challenges posed by digital advertising and protect Irish consumers, building a safer and more transparent media environment and foster trust in advertising for all. Together, we will strengthen regulatory framework that underpins advertising and media practices in Ireland, promoting high standards among digital services, online platforms and advertising bodies.”

 

Aoife MacEvilly, Broadcasting and Video On-Demand Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, says:

“It’s important for us to have a media landscape that consumers can trust and where they are protected from exploitation and fraud. We look forward to continuing to work together with the ASA to ensure that standards for advertising and commercial marketing work for the benefit of consumers, and in particular protect children from potentially harmful advertising content.

 

• 14 advertisements across Online, Social Media, Television and In-Store advertising were found to be in breach of the Advertising Standards Authority Code on grounds related to a range of issues including Misleading, Health and Beauty, Safety and Children

 The Advertising Standards Authority’s independent Complaints Committee has released its latest Complaints Bulletin, which contains 18 case reports on complaints recently investigated by the organisation.

13 of the 18 cases were upheld in full and one case was upheld in part. Advertisements across Online, Social Media, Television and In-Store advertising were found to be in breach of the Advertising Standards Authority Code on grounds related to Misleading, Health and Beauty, Safety and Children. The Advertising Standards Authority chose not to uphold four complaints, one of which was an Intra-industry / Interested Party complaint.

 The Complaints Committee is a completely independent arm of the Advertising Standards Authority and is responsible for considering and adjudicating on complaints submitted by the public, by an organisation, by a Government Department, or any other person or body. The Committee is made up of a range of experts from the advertising, media, education, consumer, and marketing sectors. See further details here – https://adstandards.ie/about-us/

Commenting on the latest Advertising Standards Authority rulings, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, stated:

 “The Advertising Standards Authority’s primary role is to safeguard consumers from harmful, offensive, or misleading advertising. The most recent complaints bulletin underscores our crucial position within the Irish advertising industry, ensuring that marketing communications are legal, truthful, decent and honest for consumers.

 We remain committed to promoting responsibility and compliance within the Irish advertising industry, removing ads that violate the Code, and educating both consumers and brands about advertising standards – ultimately building trust in advertising for all.

 We provide a free and confidential copy advice service to advertisers so they can create responsible ads that adhere to the advertising code. If advertisers or agencies have any concerns about an advertisement or marketing communications’ compliance with the code, they can contact us to avail of that service.”

 

Below is a list of 14 advertisements that have been found to be in breach of the Advertising Standards Authority Code:

 

Advertiser	Medium	Complaint Category	Description	Complaint Status	Section Breached	Link
Vincent Finnegan Ltd	Online (Third Party Website)	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement appeared on a property website and featured images of a house which was described as being a detached, two-storey residence with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.   The complainant considered it misleading to advertise the house as a three-bedroom property when it only had two bedrooms.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/property-16/
Lisney Sothebys International Realty	Online (Third Party Website)	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement appeared on a property website and featured images of a house which was detailed as being detached, 100 m², and having three bedrooms and two bathrooms.   The complainant considered it misleading to advertise a house as having three bedrooms when it only had two.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/property-17/
Dyson	Online (Social Media)	Misleading Advertising	A sponsored advertisement on Facebook for the Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer depicted the hair dryer and its various attachments resting on a display case for the product.   The complainant considered the advertisement misleading on the basis that the product had been depicted with a display case that was not included in the price for sale.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04 and 4.05	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/health-beauty-72/
Desert Diamonds	Online (Company Own Website)	Misleading Advertising	The webpage titled ‘Our Stones’ featured a number of claims including  “100% Conflict Free Diamonds” and  “Our stones are lab created simulants and the perfect alternative to mined gemstones. Lab grown diamonds are the only true conflict-free diamonds.”   The complainant considered that the advertising was misleading as they considered that the claims that the stones were 100% conflict free diamonds and were lab created simulants, led consumers to believe that the stones were diamonds when they were not.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/jewellery-6/
Sheep School	Online (Company own website)	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement featured an image of a can of Wurth Ultra 2040 Spray. The text accompanying the image referred to the following: “Magic Orf Spray…One spray of this Ultra 2040 is excellent at killing Orf…”   The complainant considered that there was no basis to the claim that one spray of the oil lubricant could kill Orf which they said was caused by a virus. The complainant queried whether the advertisers had any scientific evidence to substantiate their claim.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/agriculture-2/
Women’s Best	Online (Influencer’s social media account)	Misleading Advertising	The Influencer posted three advertisements on their Instagram account on behalf of Women’s Best with the following identification text: “@womensbest brand ambassador”, “@womensbest ba” and “brand ambassador”.   Two complainants raised concerns that the advertising material had not been identified correctly as marketing communications and had the potential to mislead consumers.	Upheld	3.31, 3.32, 4.01, and 4.04	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/clothing-12/
Beacon Care Facility	Online (Company Own Website)	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement featured an image of a pregnant woman alongside text which stated “What sets our Egg Donation Program Apart?” Included in the various reasons was the following statement: “…We guarantee 2 Blastocyst Embryos*”   The asterisk was linked to the following information: *Should only 1 Blastocyst Embryo be produced, a credit of €1,000 applies. Should no Blastocyst Embryos be produced, the second set of eggs will be provided at no charge. If a third set of eggs is provided but no Blastocyst Embryo is produced, we will refund 50%. For more information…”   The complainant said that while the advertisement had referred to the fact that the clinic guaranteed 2 Blastocyst Embryos, the asterisked information had contradicted this. .	Upheld	4.01 and 4.04	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/health-7/
Ladybird Driving School	Online (Company Own Social Media)	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement was a post on Ladybird Driving School’s Facebook page which claimed that their school had the highest pass rate nationwide for pupils passing their driving test. The post included the following two statements:   ‘132 pupils passed their driving test in July..’ and ‘Anyone looking at this post will understand that Ladybird has the highest Passrate (sic) nationwide’.   The complainant considered the advertising misleading as they said that unless the advertiser could show they had a higher number of former students successful in passing their driving tests compared to other driving schools, they could not claim to have the highest pass rate nationwide.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/education-17/
West Wood Club	Advertisers’ Own Website	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement was seen on the advertisers’ website and promoted “Dublin’s most luxurious swimming pool”.   The website wording stated: “Unlike normal swimming pools in Dublin, our Sandymount swimming pool does not use heavily chlorinated water. Instead, the pool is continuously filled with only natural seawater.”   The complainant considered the statement that the swimming pool was only filled with natural seawater to be incorrect and misleading as no mention was made that the water contained chlorine. The complainant believed that chlorine was used as they suffered a reaction after swimming in the pool.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09 and 4.10	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/leisure-37
DCM Learning	Online (Company Own Website)	Misleading Advertising	The webpage included the following description of the course: “Our QQI Medical Secretary Course is designed for learners who wish to gain a recognised qualification as a medical secretary to enable them to begin work in a new role.”   The complainant said they signed up to the QQI Medical Secretary course (level 5) as advertised. On completion of the course, the advertisers provided them with a virtual certificate which stated, “Medical Secretary”. On receipt of the physical certificate however, the title of the course was listed as “Medical Terminology”.   The complainant said that while they had studied medical terminology as part of the course, this was not the title of the course they had signed up to.	Upheld	4.01 and 4.04	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/education-18/
PhoneWatch	Advertisers’ Own Website	Misleading Advertising	The advertisement was seen on the advertisers’ own website and featured imagery which depicted the various style of alarms customers could purchase. Large, red font at the top of the web page stated, “Get the alarm burglars fear the most”.   The complainant considered the advertisement to be misleading as they said that the statement that the alarm was feared the most by burglars was not backed up by evidence in the form of research or statistics.	Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09, 4.10, 4.31, 4.32 and 4.33	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/household-37/
Immucura	Online (Company own website)	Misleading Advertising / Health and Beauty	The website included a number of statements such as: “Unlike traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, DCT offers multiple advantages… and “The majority of specialists are unaware of this therapy as it is not yet mainstream in common pathways. As with all new methods, it takes time to convince a large part of the medical profession…”   The home page included a graph titled “Cancer Survival Rates at Immucura” which outlined the 1-year survival rates for stage IV of various cancers.   Issue 1: The complainant considered that the reference and comparison to mainstream cancer treatments could be considered as discouraging treatment.   Issue 2: The complainant considered that the success rates in the advertisement could be considered as overstated.   Issue 3: The complainant questioned the qualifications of those who administered the treatment.	Issue 1: Upheld Issue 2: Upheld Issue 3: Upheld	4.01, 4.04, 4.09, 4.10, 11.01, 11.04 and 11.05	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/health-beauty-71/
John David Sports Fashion Ireland Limited (JD Sports)	In-store and online advertising	General Rules / Safety	The advertisements were in-store posters and online advertising which featured young men on motorcycles, and other close-up details of the vehicles.   35 complaints were received against the advertising.   Issue 1: Many of the complainants felt that the images of the young men on motorbikes were aggressive and that the advertising tacitly condoned and glamorised young men and teenagers being part of a gang and engaging in antisocial behaviours.   Issue 2: Some complainants took issue with the lack of helmets and safety wear depicted and the unsafe practices featured in the advertising.	Issue 1: Not Upheld   Issue 2: Upheld	3.24 (a)	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/clothing-footwear-12/
Haribo Ireland Ltd	Television	Safety / Children	The television advertisement featured two men in a boat angling. They were dubbed with children’s voices whilst discussing Haribo sweets.   Issue1: Three complaints were received against the advertisement. All three complained that the men in the advertisement were not wearing personal floatation devices (PFDs).   Issue 2: The three complainants said they believed it was irresponsible to omit the wearing of PFDs in an advertisement they considered was primarily aimed at children.	Issues 1 and 2 Upheld	3.03, 3.24(a) and 7.4(h)	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/confectionary-2/

 

The Advertising Standards Authority chose not to uphold three complaints

 

Advertiser	Medium	Complaint Category	Description	Complaint Status	Section Breached	Link
888 Ireland Limited	Television / Cinema	Gambling	The advertisement was seen both on television and in the cinema. The commercial depicted young adults using the 888 application on their smart phones.   Three complaints were received.   Issue 1: The complainants saw the advertisement in the cinema before films which had a 12A and a 15A IFCO film classification, therefore they considered it could be seen to target children.   Issue 2: The complainant considered that as the advertisement depicted young people appearing to play games on their smartphones as opposed to betting, this made it difficult to ascertain that the advertisement was promoting a gambling service.   Issue 3: A complainant felt that the advertisement gave the impression of promoting gambling as safe and a fun way to relax.	Issues 1, 2 and 3: Not Upheld	NA	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/leisure-gambling-4/
Jaguar Land Rover Ireland	Press	Safety / Misleading	The advertisement was seen in a national newspaper magazine and featured an image of a Land Rover Defender SUV driving out of the sea and onto rocks.   The complainant considered the advertisement to be misleading as they said it depicted the vehicle as amphibious when it was not. The complainant also considered this dangerous as a driver attempting to replicate the image shown in the advertisement could drown.	Not Upheld	NA	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/motoring-57/
Supermac’s	Television	Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages	A television advertisement featured a father and son passing a branch of Supermac’s. The father stopped and said to the son “guess how much I love you?” and then indicates with a gesture of his head towards Supermac’s. A voiceover then said, “Treat the ones you love this Christmas”.   Issue 1: The complainants felt the advertisement implied one had to spend money to express familial love.   Issue 2: The complainants claimed it was irresponsibly promoting ‘fast food’ as a sign of affection. .	Issues 1 and 2: Not Upheld	NA	https://adstandards.ie/complaint/food-and-non-alcoholic-beverages-3/

 

 

The Advertising Standards Authority received one complaint from an Intra-industry or Interested Party which was not upheld:

 

Cadbury Ireland

Outdoor

Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

A billboard advertisement for Cadbury featured a 1980s photograph of a mother holding a baby on her lap, both the mother and baby are holding a Cadbury Easter egg together.   The complainant  objected to the billboard advertisement on the grounds that it depicted a very young child with a full-size Buttons Easter Egg.

Not Upheld

NA

https://adstandards.ie/complaint/food-non-alcohol-beverages/

 

 

 

The Advertising Standards Authority conducts ongoing monitoring of advertising across all media and since 2007, has examined over 27,000 advertisements, with an overall compliance rate of 98 percent. The Advertising Standards Authority Monitoring Service monitors compliance with the Complaints Committee’s adjudications.

 

Media are reminded that advertisements found to be in breach of the Code cannot be accepted for publication.

 

Visit adstandards.ie to learn more

 

To keep up to date on Advertising Standards Authority activity, follow the organisation on:

 

X                      @AdStandardsIRE

Instagram        @adstandardsireland

LinkedIn          @Ad-Standards-Ireland

 

• Level Health sets a new standard for simplicity with just FOUR health insurance plans that provide better access to quality healthcare

 

• Customers get better value including a saving of an average of €500* for a family of 4 switching to Level Health from competitors

 

• All Level Health customers get FREE world-wide multi-trip travel insurance with winter sports cover

 

• Level Health is backed by Aviva, one of Ireland’s leading insurance companies, with the biggest ever investment in a new health insurance business in Ireland

 

Level Health, Ireland’s newest health insurance provider, has launched today with a mission to reshape how health insurance can work by offering clarity, simplicity, and genuine competition. Customers have been crying out for simplicity and with just four plans that meet everyone’s needs, customers now have a real alternative. Level Health provides cover for all public and private hospitals as well as access throughout the country to more diagnostic, urgent care and emergency care centres than with any other health insurer in Ireland.

Level Health customers have unlimited access to the most innovative tele-medicine services in the market including immediate access to health professionals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via video calls, secure messaging and WhatsApp.

Level Health is backed by Aviva, one of Ireland’s most trusted insurance brands, and customers will get access to an exclusive range of discounts on Aviva’s home and motor products as well as free personal accident cover.

A family of 4 can save an average of €500* when switching to Level Health from a comparable Laya, VHI or Irish Life Health plan to Level Health’s Plan C. These comparisons are based on the HIA report on the 30 most commonly held health insurance plans in 2023**. What’s more, with Level Health, kids under 3 go free on all plans.

 

SIMPLICITY:

A recent HIA report found that due to the bewildering range of health plans, customers have an overwhelming task trying to choose a plan. Level Health are passionate about simplifying the market and have made it their mission to remove unnecessary complexity and confusion. This is delivered by offering 4 plans, making it easier for customers to choose the right cover as well as providing customer support and telemedicine advice through multiple channels including secure WhatsApp messaging.

 

A REAL ALTERNATIVE:

Level Health is offering a real alternative with:

• Four health insurance plans — simply called Plan A, B, C, and D — providing access to healthcare across Ireland.
• Agreements with all public, private, and high-tech hospitals and better access to more minor injury units and private emergency departments, and scan centres nationwide.
• Savings of an average of €500* for a family of 4 who switch to Level Health from a comparable Laya, VHI or Irish Life Health plan. Level Health provides free cover for kids under 3 on all plans.
• Customers can consult a doctor or health care professional via instant digital access at any time that suits them or make a face-to-face appointment if they’d prefer.
• FREE multi-trip world-wide travel insurance, including winter sports, for the term of the policy – worth approximately €228 per family of 2 adults and 2 children***

• Exclusive discounts including a 50% discount on home insurance, 15% on motor insurance and a 15% discount on mortgage protection insurance with Aviva Insurance.
• Simple customer experience with claims paid to customers’ Revolut accounts and customer service through multiple channels including WhatsApp.

 

ABOUT LEVEL HEALTH

Level Health is led by experts with decades of experience in the health insurance market – Jim Dowdall, Stephen Loughman, Ruth Bailey and Oliver Tattan – who have previously established and run successful health insurers in Ireland. Level Health is a joint venture with the backing of Aviva Insurance Ireland and Aviva is also underwriting all Level Health policies.

 

Jim Dowdall, CEO of Level Health, says

“The launch of Level Health marks a pivotal moment for a broken Irish health insurance market. For too long, customers have been overwhelmed by confusing plans, limited options, and a lack of real alternatives. Level Health is the cure. We’re not just entering the market – we’re reshaping it, bringing clarity, simplicity, and genuine competition.

We’re proud to lead this transformation. Our Level Health team, with decades of health insurance industry experience, knows what’s been missing: simplicity, meaningful savings and better access to quality healthcare. Backed by the strength and expertise of Aviva, we are offering a true alternative to the status quo. Health insurance customers now have a real choice. This is more than a launch; it’s the beginning of a new era in health insurance.”

 

Level Health is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and the health insurance business is registered with the Health Insurance Authority. Customers switching their cover to Level Health will not have to re-serve waiting periods when switching to a comparable level of cover.

Visit levelhealth.ie to see how Level Health can offer better value and smarter solutions.