Vol. 560 No. 5
65 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has considered amending legislation in order to provide that all vehicles must be insured on an open drive basis in order that any licensed person is covered for the use of the vehicle; the estimated cost of such a move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3054/03]
66 Mr. Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in the interests of enhanced road safety and of discouraging drink driving, he will examine the possibility of requiring insurance companies to provide open drive insurance subject to a requirement that permanent employees of companies which use such insurance must provide to the insurer, a copy of their driving licence and a statement of penalty points incurred in order to eliminate the phenomenon of drunk drivers who drive company vehicles evading insurance penalties arising from convictions from drink driving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3055/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 66 together.
Any consideration of this topic is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport.
It must be remembered, however that the pricing and underwriting of insurance is a matter for individual insurance companies and EU law prevents governments from intervening in such matters.
The issues raised in these questions may have implications for the underwriting process. It would be my understanding that insurers currently require clients to disclose certain details in relation to previous driving history, in order to assess each individual risk.
Enforcement in relation to the penalty points system comes under the area of responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and I am prepared to raise the issue with him in the ministerial level committee which I chair, set up to report on progress in implementing the recommendations of the Motor Insurance Advisory Board.
