Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
262. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Finance the supports that are in place or being considered to allow Ukrainians fleeing the conflict in circumstances in which they are staying with an Irish family to be added to Irish car insurance policies; if he will respond to reports that some insurance providers are declining applications for this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14613/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Finance, I am responsible for the development of the legal framework governing regulation of the insurance sector. Neither I, nor the Central Bank of Ireland, can direct the pricing or provision of insurance products, as this is a commercial matter which individual companies assess on a case-by-case basis. This position is reinforced by the EU Single Market framework for insurance (the Solvency II Directive) which expressly prohibits Member States from doing so. Consequently, I am not in a position to direct insurance companies as to how they price their policies or what terms and conditions they apply in those policies, nor can I direct insurance companies to provide cover to specific individuals or businesses.
Having said that, my officials contacted Insurance Ireland for further comment on this matter, so that I could provide some further information. Insurance Ireland stated that its members are focused on ensuring they make it as practical as possible for those arriving from Ukraine to take out policies in their own name over time. It also stated that in general its members are accepting the addition of named drivers who hold a full Ukrainian licence to existing motor policies of Irish host families. Any charge that applies depends on the individual circumstances of the driver, and if it is a temporary or permanent addition to the motor insurance policy, in some cases no charge will apply. In general at the moment, my officials understand that insurers will treat Ukrainian licences as the equivalent of an EU licence and they will be subject to the same acceptance criteria and rules as EU licence holders.
Finally, it should be noted that issues in relation to driver licencing, including equivalence and exchange issues, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Transport and his Department.
