asked the Minister for the Environment whether Road Traffic "Insurance Disc" Regulations, 1984 (SI No. 355 of 1984) will require the displaying of a current insurance disc covering all drivers of the vehicle carrying the disc; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Car Insurance Disc Regulations.
10.
Drivers entitled to drive a vehicle may include the insured, other persons named on the relevant insurance policy including the spouse and children of the insured and persons insured to drive under open driving policies of insurance held by either the insured or the drivers concerned. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be impracticable, in the circumstances, for the disc to list all the insured drivers involved.
The main purpose of the disc is to ensure that every vehicle in the State is covered by a policy of insurance. If this objective is achieved, it will be an improvement on the existing situation where insurance company sources estimate that 15 per cent to 20 per cent of vehicles are not insured. As regards the insurance of individual drivers, this can only be established by the Garda utilising their powers to demand production, by the driver, of his certificate of insurance.
The Minister of State may have missed the point of the question. While I agree that it would be totally impractical to put the names of those driving the vehicle on the disc, would the Minister of State agree that what could be put on the disc is that it would be an offence to carry passengers if the person's insurance did not cover that? I am sure the Minister of State is aware that there are many different types of insurance policies available. We appreciate that this is very necessary and welcome legislation but would the Minister of State not agree that it would be desirable to put down the cost of the insurance on the disc so that insurance companies would not be given a carte blanche to charge whatever they liked?
I did not miss the point of the question. The question dealt with the displaying of an insurance disc covering all drivers of the vehicle. As regards costs it does not really matter all that much. The particulars are the policy number, the commencement date, the expiry date and the registration number of the vehicle insured. We want to make sure that every vehicle is insured. I take the Deputy's point that someone who is not insured may be driving a car but the Garda still have power to ask drivers to produce their insurance certificate within ten days. Insurance companies have informed us that between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of vehicles are not insured.
This is an important point. One can have insurance for the owner of a vehicle only or one can have that extended to cover one's spouse——
A question please, Deputy. We cannot have a discussion on insurance.
I am doing my level best to engage in word economy.
The Deputy's very best is very good but it is not the way to handle Question Time.
When I came to the House first I well remember the very adroit manner in which you asked questions. I wish I was able to ask questions in that manner.
I can throw my mind back to the time when there were 39 questions on the Order Paper every day and they were all cleared. I also remember when it was a great feat to ask a supplementary question. It used to remind me of a greyhound in a box ready to break when the traps went up. One jumped up and if one did not get in, the House would have passed on to the next question. There is a happy medium but we have gone to the other extreme now.
The days of the greyhound are gone.
Surely quality is better than quantity.
You can have too much of quality.
Will the Minister of State give consideration to the idea of inserting the cost of insurance on the disc? Young people are charged exorbitant sums by insurance companies and this would be one way of curbing that practice.
I do not see the Deputy's point.
The cost of motor taxation is inserted on tax discs.
The object is to have every vehicle insured. That is what is important.
It will give a carte blanche to insurance companies to charge whatever they want.
This is more suitable to an afternoon in Ranelagh.
Will the Department issue the disc?
No, the insurance companies will give it.
Will it be a uniform disc?
Yes. It will be a green band.