My Department has raised with the insurance industry on a number of occasions over the last two years, including at meetings with the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland and Insurance Ireland, the issue of a properly functioning motor insurance database. In addition, the issue has been discussed by my Department with An Garda Síochána at regular meetings since 2015, following which a provision was included in the Road Traffic Bill 2016 specifying in greater detail the information to be provided by the insurance industry to An Garda Síochána, to my Department and to the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland, with the database being the appropriate mechanism to deliver the required information.
Further discussions have taken place with the insurance industry during 2016 regarding the database most recently a meeting between my Department, An Garda Síochána, Department of Justice & Equality, and Department of Finance with Insurance Ireland and the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland on Wednesday 14 September 2016 with a further meeting planned for later this month. My Department understands from discussion with the industry that the industry hopes to have the database ready for use by An Garda Síochána, my Department and by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland early in 2017.