As the Deputy is aware, in fulfilment of Recommendation 6 from the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance, a protocol was agreed between Insurance Ireland and the Department of Finance under which insurance companies have committed to accepting the driving experience returning emigrants gained while abroad, when the driver has had previous driving experience in Ireland. The guiding principle of the protocol is to ensure that a returning emigrant is not treated any differently to any other driver subject to their ability to demonstrate, and the insurance company to verify, continuous driving experience and the normal acceptance criteria of the company. What this means is that the returning emigrant will not be disadvantaged from spending time abroad. Furthermore, under the protocol, insurance companies will not distinguish between countries on the basis of which side of the road driving takes place therein or, indeed, whether the country is a member of the EU or not.
In addition to the above, insurance companies have agreed to provide relevant and helpful information on their websites to make it easier for consumers to understand the implications of their move abroad from a motor insurance perspective. As part of this exercise, they will outline what people need to do under a number of different circumstances depending on the length of time they intend being away from Ireland.
If a returning emigrant believes that they have received a high quote due to an insurance provider not accepting driving experience gained while abroad, they should contact the free Insurance Information Service operated by Insurance Ireland, which can be accessed at feedback@insuranceireland.eu or 01-6761820.
Ultimately, if a returning emigrant is unable to secure a motor insurance quotation on the open market, they may be in a position to avail of the Declined Cases Agreement (DCA) process, and declined@insuranceireland.eu is the relevant e-mail address in this respect.
In relation to the implementation of Recommendation 6, Insurance Ireland submitted a report to the Department in December 2017. This report confirmed that Insurance Ireland members have agreed to publish the wording of the agreed protocol on their company websites and any other forms of social media, in addition to providing training for staff who can work through issues with emigrants before they leave, whilst they are out of the country and when they return to Ireland. The stated intention is “to resolve any issues well before they arise and for the consumer to be aware of the considerations when moving abroad”. The wording of the agreed protocol is also available on the Insurance Ireland website.
The Insurance Ireland report also outlined some sample cases which demonstrate how the rolling-out of the protocol has led to disputed cases being resolved to the benefit of returning emigrants, and provided figures indicating that the number of such cases being processed under the DCA is decreasing.
In conclusion, my Department is satisfied that the essence of the recommendation is being fulfilled without a need for legislation to underpin it. Moreover, I would be very cautious about going down such a route as in my role as Minister for Finance I cannot interfere in the provision or pricing of insurance products, as these matters are of a commercial nature, and are determined by insurance companies based on the risks they are willing to accept.
You should note however that I will continue to monitor the implementation of this recommendation through my Department’s regular engagement with Insurance Ireland.
