asked the Minister for the Environment having regard to difficulties, delays and avoidance of legal responsibility which arise because of the absence of any visible record on a motor vehicle of the insurance policy covering it, if he will introduce legislation to require, as in many other countries, that there should be exhibited on the windscreen of every motor vehicle a small certificate indicating relevant details of the insurers, the period of insurance and policy number.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Motor Insurance Disc.
8.
The display of particulars would not be evidence that the person driving the vehicle is covered by insurance and a car bearing such a disc could have an uninsured person driving it. However, I am aware that such a scheme operates in Italy and I am arranging, with my colleague in the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism to have this scheme examined to see if it would help reduce the burden of car insurance.
Is the Minister not aware that this idea was sown in his Department many years ago? Is he not aware also of the considerable concern among the motoring public in general regarding the long delay in the implementation of this quite simple measure which would at least provide some source of information as to whether a vehicle was generally insured for driving at all? Would the Minister seriously consider introducing the relevant legislation to ensure that the period of taxation and of insurance would be simultaneous?
I am not aware that this idea was floated in my Department some time ago but the Deputy may be right about that. I have had contacts with the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism on this issue and he is very keen that some sort of system be introduced in this area. I am having an urgent examination of the position. However, there are problems involved in any such system. In this country the person is insured so that the display of a disc on a car windscreen would not be any guarantee that the person who was driving was insured.
It would probably be all right in 75 per cent of the cases and that would be better than nothing.