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Motor Insurance

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 April 2017

Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Ceisteanna (119)

Bobby Aylward

Ceist:

119. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Finance the progress the Government has made in implementing the recommendations made in the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach insurance report and the Government's motor insurance working group report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18546/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Cost of Insurance Working Group, chaired by Minister of State Eoghan Murphy T.D., finalised its Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance in December 2016 and it was published on 10 January 2017. The Report makes 33 recommendations with 71 associated actions to be carried out in agreed timeframes, set out in an action plan within the Report. The Report including the Action Plan is available on the Department's website at:

http://www.finance.gov.ie/sites/default/files/170110%20Report%20on%20the%20Cost%20of%20Motor%20Insurance%202017.pdf

The Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach conducted its own review of the rising cost of motor insurance and published its report in November 2016. I am of the view that considerable overlaps exist between the two reports. Therefore in implementing the Cost of Insurance Report, the Government will address many of the recommendations contained in the Joint Committee's Report, including in such key areas as:

- Consumer protection e.g., providing breakdown of the calculation/increase in premiums, improving conditions for returning emigrants, etc.

- Enhancing transparency in the claims environment e.g., establishing a National Claims Information Database, improving the quality of data in the Book of Quantum, etc.

- Counteracting uninsured driving and fraud e.g., establishing fully-functional databases in respect of uninsured drivers and insurance fraud, expediting the development of the Master Licence Record, etc.

In this respect, work is well underway by all relevant bodies and stakeholders in implementing the recommendations and it is expected that the Report's 71 actions will be completed by the end of 2018, with 45 due before the end of this year. 

My Department will publish its first quarterly progress report on the implementation of the recommendations in the coming weeks. This report will provide a full update on the progress to date on the overall implementation of the Report, with a particular focus on action points due for completion in the first Quarter of 2017. This update will cover actions such as the establishment of the Personal Injuries Commission in January and the issuing of a key aggregated metrics template to insurance undertakings for completion at the end of March.

In addition to the quarterly report, the Minister of State will continue to engage regularly with the Joint Committee to ensure that collaboration in working on these issues continues. In this context, he has made a number of appearances before the Joint Committee, both during its work, and by way of providing an update on progress.

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