Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Kelly raised the question of the cost of insurance, which is a serious matter. Ivan Yates has written a very good article on this issue in today's edition of the Irish Independent. Quite a number of claims are being submitted to insurance companies and they are reacting to them but many of them are under question. Some people claim that insurance companies pay out too quickly and do not challenge some cases that may be fraudulent. Some people can claim within two years of an accident occurring. I am aware of a case involving a scratch that was made to a car last Christmas and a claim is being submitted, without any medical evidence, against a family. The insurance company will probably pay out in that case because it is cheaper for it to do so than to go court. The young person involved is paying a motor insurance premium of €5,000 a year. That is very difficult for him. We need to have a debate on this issue. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as opposed to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, deals with the insurance industry.

With respect to the emergency in terms of accommodation and the number of buildings that are vacant throughout the country, I was amazed the Government, when it decided to extend certainty with regard to rents, gave landlords an opportunity to raise rents before such legislation is brought in. Such legislation would normally be introduced as an emergency measure, be passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and signed by the President the next day, but for some unknown reason, the Government is warning landlords to put up the rent they charge now or they will not have an opportunity to put it up again.