Vol. 440 No. 3
13 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment in view of recent statements made by a person (details supplied), the legislative procedure proposed to ensure that insurance is paid in all cases of suicide where the person has died more than two years after taking out the policy.
I have no statutory function in relation to the setting of specific conditions in insurance policies such as the exclusion of suicide.
I have been informed by the insurance industry that clauses in life assurance policies excluding death by suicide are normally invoked only where such death has occurred within two years of the inception of the policy.
Is the Minister aware of a recent statement by an eminent clinical psychiatrist on television that an insurance company sent out a special investigator to examine a claim by the wife of a suicide victim who had been insured for a long period? Is the Minister aware that that investigator visited the local pubs and interviewed the lady in question? Surely that is not good practice. Can the Minister make it mandatory on insurance companies to pay all victims who have been insured for more than two years?
I am aware of the comments of the doctor in question and I had discussions with some parties about the position. As a result I wrote to the Irish Insurance Federation requesting that their companies consider extending to all life policies the time limit which applies to the exclusion clauses for suicide in more recent policies. I said that in the light of current social attitudes that would be an appropriate way to respond. I am awaiting a response from the industry. I agree that cases have to be investigated but harassment is not acceptable.
Most people insure against illness. Will the Minister agree that in most cases people who commit suicide are ill? Will the Minister emphasise to insurance companies the importance of a sympathetic approach to the families of suicide victims? Will it be possible to introduce legislation at some future date to compel companies to honour claims in these cases?
I share the Deputy's concern. I am happy that the action I have taken was the correct approach. There is no difficulty with policies taken out today as they will normally have a two-year exclusion clause. That is a sensible clause. Policies taken out 20 years or 30 years ago did not always have that clause; they had a clause which excluded suicide. I have asked the insurance companies to consider applying today's more humane approach to existing policies, whenever incepted. If they agree there is no question of legislation being required.
I am satisfied that in most cases insurance companies act sensibly and sensitively in this difficult area.
