I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 to167, inclusive, together.
The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID), which consists of the National Fleet and Motor Third Party Liability (MTPL) databases, provides a single reference point for motor vehicles insured in Ireland. The IMID is operated by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).
Fleet owners, motor traders, motor insurers and brokers are required to upload data to the IMID, including policy holder details, vehicle registration numbers and the names of drivers covered by each policy. Failure to do is an offence, with a Class E fine on summary conviction.
Following enactment of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 and the signing of a data sharing agreement under that legislation, MIBI has begun providing insurance details to An Garda Síochána on a daily basis, to support the identification of vehicles being driven without insurance. The data include:
- Name and address of the insurance policy holder
- Insurance policy number and validity dates of the policy
- Insurance company issuing the policy
- Vehicle registration number covered by the policy
- Named drivers on the policy and the type of driver cover (eg open driving)
- Date of birth of drivers
Driver numbers will be included when that part of the 2023 Act is commenced in 2024.
All companies underwriting motor insurance in Ireland must be members of MIBI. MIBI has provided all its members with details of the 2023 Act and the data sharing provisions included. In addition, Brokers Ireland, which represents over 1,200 general insurance and financial brokers in Ireland, has informed its members about the provisions of the data sharing agreement.
All insurers are providing the motor insurance policy details currently required to MIBI. The 2023 Act also requires details for fleet and motor trader vehicles to be uploaded to the National Fleet Database (NFD), which was launched last year to collect this information. As at 27 November 2023, I am advised by MIBI that around two thirds of the estimated fleet vehicles have been uploaded to the NFD. MIBI is responsible for the implementation and management of the IMID and holds the detailed information requested.
