Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 4

Written Answers - Motor Insurance Statistics.

Rory O'Hanlon

Question:

158 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number and cost of motor insurance claims against drivers in various age groups for the last year for which figures are available. [3737/95]

Seamus Kirk

Question:

159 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the amount of insurance premia paid for public liability, motor insurance, passenger and freight and employers liability for each of the years 1980 to 1994. [3814/95]

Seamus Kirk

Question:

160 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of public liability insurance claims submitted in each of the years 1980 to 1994. [3815/95]

Seamus Kirk

Question:

161 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the exact or estimated percentage of all personal injury awards that were in respect of pain and suffering for each of the years 1980 to 1994. [3816/95]

Seamus Kirk

Question:

162 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the claims as a percentage of premia for motor insurance in Ireland and the United Kingdom for each of the last five years. [3817/95]

Seamus Kirk

Question:

163 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the average comparative cost of motor insurance premia in Ireland and the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. [3818/95]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159, 160, 161, 162 and 163 together.

I refer the Deputies to the reply which I gave in the Adjournment debate on insurance costs on 2 February 1995 in this House. In my reply I indicated that my Department has been examining the key factors contributing to high insurance costs and in this regard is evaluating the findings of domestic and international research studies on comparative costs across EU member states.

Data is not available in the precise form requested by the Deputies in every case, particularly in relation to the United Kingdom and statistics for 1994. However, I can supply the following information. Claims information collected by my Department from motor insurers is not broken down by age of driver. In 1993, the latest year for which motor claims information for motorists in general is available, Irish insurers received 103,792 claims and it is estimated that 11,682 claims were incurred but not reported to them. Insurers estimate that the cost of these claims will be £506,875,524.

It should be borne in mind that Lloyds, which has approximately 2.5 per cent of the motor insurance market, does not supply claims information to my Department on the same basis as the other motor insurers and the claims figures quoted above are exclusive of Lloyds' claims.

Claims as a percentage of premia for motor insurance in Ireland are detailed below. The equivalent UK data is not supplied to my Department.

1993	91%
1992	93%
1991	101%
1990	115%
1989	113%

There are a range of estimates of the levels of pain and suffering awards as a percentage of personal injury compensation, for example, 65 per cent to 80 per cent. The estimates are drawn from a number of sources using different methodologies and information bases. The departmental evolution to which I have referred is attempting to arrive at more reliable estimates.

The total number of public liability claims — excluding Lloyds' claims — for the years 1981 to 1993 is as follows:

1993	15,539	1986	15,818
1992	14,788	1985	14,198
1991	16,395	1984	13,690
1990	16,995	1983	11,646
1989	15,967	1982	9,937
1988	15,172	1981	9,590
1987	15,084	1980	Not available

The amount of premia paid for motor and liability insurance, 1980 to 1994 is as follows:

Motor Insurance Premia	Liability Premia
	(current prices)	(current prices)
Year	£m	£m
1993	545	168
1992	522	154
1991	486	148
1990	410	142
1989	370	137
1988	358	130
1987	344	125
1986	323	109
1985	295	82
1984	260	65
1983	233	56
1982	200	52
1981	169	48
1980	133	40

Premia Paid 1980 to 1994

A breakdown of the liability figures between (1) employers' liability and public liability, and (2) passenger and freight liability is not available.

Data is not available for each of the last five years. However, a survey carried out by the Motor Insurance Advisory Board in 1992 showed that the average premium per registered vehicle in Ireland was IR£401 and the comparative figure for the UK was IR£268.