Fianna Fail’s Deputy Finance Spokesperson, Frank O’Rourke TD has called on the Government to implement the series of recommendations from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance on Motor Insurance, to tackle spiraling motor insurance premiums
‘The Government has made a commitment that the thirty-three recommendations in the report, made by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, are to be implemented by the Government.”
“People in Kildare and indeed right across the country have been grappling with rising motor insurance costs in recent years. The cost of car insurance has risen by over 50% over the last number of years with the last years increase particularly acute, as up to July 2016, motor insurance costs had increased by 38% year-on-year. These increases are unsustainable. Exorbitant insurance costs are putting enormous pressure on household budgets, are costing jobs and putting pressure on for wage increases,’
‘I know from my weekly clinics that the cost of motor insurance is placing an increasing financial burden on families and individuals. This is simply unfair,’
‘As I said in the Dail debate on this matter, there is little point in reducing Universal Social Charge (USC), if motor insurance premiums go up by a multiple of the reduction in USC.’
“Fianna Fail put forward comprehensive proposals last June to tackle motor insurance costs. This report covers six general themes; namely protecting the consumer, improving data availability, improving the personal injuries claims environment, reducing the costs in the claims process, reducing insurance fraud and uninsured driving and promoting road safety and reducing collisions.’
“In total, the Report makes 33 recommendations with 71 associated actions to be carried out.”
“The reported timeline regarding the implementation of the committee’s proposals is too long, as it could be 18 months before certain measures are implemented, such as the creation of detailed databases to combat fraud. This indicates that the Government is simply not giving this crisis the attention it deserves,’ concluded Deputy O’Rourke, as he called on the Government to intensify their efforts in relation to implementing the Committee’s proposal.’