Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 March 2004
84 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which insurance costs here are out of line with such costs in other European and non-European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8208/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe latest comparative figures available in Ireland are in respect of motor insurance, and are shown in the motor insurance advisory board, MIAB, report published in April 2002. The next MIAB report is due to be published in the middle of this year.
In Table 1 below from the McAuley report — Second Report of the Special Working Group on Personal Injury Compensation 2001 — it can be seen that in 1997 motor premiums in Ireland, as a proportion of GDP, were higher than in all other countries except the United States.
In Table 2 below "1998 Claims and Premiums per Vehicle — Europe" which is taken from the MIAB report, Ireland reflects the highest claims cost and premium per vehicle. It may be noted that the insurance cost reflected for a particular jurisdiction bears no direct relationship to a country's safety record as examined in the chapter on accidents in the MIAB report. The figures in Table 2 are based on figures obtained from the CEA, Comité Européen des Assurances, 2001 report. CEA is the Association of Insurance Federations.
Caution must be exercised in making comparisons with other countries because there are considerable variances between countries on the extent to which losses arising from accidents are paid by the state rather than through personal insurance policies.
The Deputy will be aware that one of the main aims of the insurance reform programme is to tackle the area of high claims costs in Ireland.
|
1997 Motor Insurance Premium as % of GDP |
|
|---|---|
|
Country |
% |
|
USA |
1.8 |
|
Ireland |
1.6 |
|
France |
1.1 |
|
Germany |
1.1 |
|
Netherlands |
1.0 |
|
Canada |
0.9 |
|
Denmark |
0.8 |
|
New Zealand |
1.0%*incl tax & fuel levy |
|
Sweden |
0.6 |
|
1998 Claims and Premiums per Vehicle — Europe |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Country |
No. 000’s vehicles |
Claims incurred €m |
Claims Inc./Veh€ |
Motor GWP€m |
GWP/Vehicle€ |
|
B |
5,454 |
2,039 |
373.85 |
2,395 |
439.13 |
|
CH |
4,085 |
1791 |
438.43 |
2,436 |
596.33 |
|
D |
48,502 |
19,933 |
410.97 |
20,032 |
413.01 |
|
DK |
2,175 |
946 |
434.94 |
1,124 |
516.78 |
|
E |
21,306 |
4637 |
217.64 |
5,307 |
249.08 |
|
SF |
2,402 |
607 |
252.71 |
665 |
276.85 |
|
F |
34,211 |
10,828 |
316.51 |
13,923 |
406.97 |
|
GB |
27,538 |
11,602 |
421.31 |
11,880 |
431.40 |
|
GR |
4,323 |
576 |
133.24 |
630 |
145.73 |
|
IRL |
1,472 |
978 |
664.40 |
1,097 |
745.24 |
|
I |
41,835 |
13,545 |
323.77 |
14,306 |
341.96 |
|
NL |
7,055 |
2,570 |
364.28 |
3,279 |
464.78 |
|
P |
5,000 |
1,012 |
202.40 |
1,376 |
275.20 |
|
S |
4,198 |
1,234 |
293.95 |
1179 |
280.85 |
|
Total |
209,556 |
72,298 |
79,629 |
||
|
Average |
14,968 |
5,164 |
346.31 |
5,688 |
398.81 |
