Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 January 2019
90. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if additional funding will be provided to An Garda Síochána to tackle insurance fraud; if he is still committed to establishing a dedicated insurance fraud unit in An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2047/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra91. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on establishing a publicly funded dedicated insurance fraud unit in An Garda Síochána; if the Garda Commissioner rejected the idea of a dedicated insurance unit; if the Commissioner rejected the idea of industry funding such a unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2048/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 91 together.
The Deputy is aware that the Cost of Insurance Working Group (CIWG) proposed exploring the possibility that a specific unit, funded by the insurance industry, be established within the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) to tackle insurance fraud.
The Deputy will also be aware that the GNECB has engaged with Insurance Ireland in relation to this matter and submitted a mechanism for establishing an insurance fraud unit to Insurance Ireland in the first half of 2017. Following receipt of the reply from Insurance Ireland in July 2018, I met with the GNECB and the Assistant Commissioner, Special Crime Operations, on 30 August 2018 to discuss this recommendation further.
On 13 December, my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Michael D'Arcy, T.D., met with the Garda Commissioner to discuss matters relating to insurance fraud, including this recommendation, and the work of the CIWG. I am aware that the Commissioner indicated his preference at this meeting that, in principle, An Garda Síochána should not be funded by any source other than the exchequer for the purposes of tackling insurance fraud.
I am further informed that the Commissioner undertook to further consider the establishment of an insurance fraud investigation unit within the GNECB. The Deputy will, of course, appreciate that it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the allocation of resources within An Garda Síochána and I have no role, as Minister, in such operational matters. The Budget allocated to An Garda Síochána for 2019 is in excess of €1.76 billion, an increase of over €100 million on the 2018 allocation.
More broadly, I am aware that considerable progress has been made in enhancing the level of engagement and cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the insurance industry, in part, via the Fraud Roundtable, established under the CIWG and which involved wide stakeholder consultation. A notable output of the Fraud Roundtable engagement is the commitment for the GNECB and Insurance Ireland’s Anti-Fraud Forum to meet on a regular basis in order to discuss and act upon current and ongoing general issues, which arise in the area of insurance fraud. I welcome this enhanced cooperation, which will be very important going forward in tackling the issue of fraudulent claims.
My officials remain in close, ongoing contact with An Garda Síochána in relation to this matter.
