Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Many issues have been addressed and I would like to discuss a number of them. Every one present is in agreement that there is a problem that needs to be tackled by the joint committee, the insurance industry, the working group and the Minister. After six days of deliberations, we will all know what are the problems. While many of them have been evident for some time, no one has tackled them. If there are only five major players left in the insurance industry, it must be in their interests to eliminate fraud and reduce dangerous claims and vexatious behaviour. There must, therefore, be a benefit in sharing information. It is being done in other jurisdictions for a reason, namely, that it is of benefit to the insurance companies. I do not understand why it is not considered to be in everyone's interest to root out the bad people who are costing everybody else money.

I am in the same position as everybody else. My car is getting older, as am I, and I do not drive long distances yet my insurance premium has increased by exactly 33.3%, which is similar to the increases experienced by many others. I use the services of AA Ireland, which are perfectly good, but the quote is always higher than the premium I ultimately pay. I presume that is the case with everyone. The Chairman stated yesterday that it is up to all of us to shop around and telephone our insurance provider to have the data it holds on us reviewed. I am not doing anything different from what I did previously. I have not made claims, nor have I incurred penalty points, yet my insurance premium has increased by one third. I assume many other members are paying similar increases.

I will cite an example that is worse than any of those cited by Mr. Faughnan. I know of a person who was paying an insurance premium of €800 and was quoted a premium of €1,360 having turned 80 years. This is an increase of 70% on what was already a relatively high premium. The person in question did not make a claim in the previous 12 months and rarely drives in the evenings, on motorways or for long distances. This individual makes short trips of between one and three miles in the local area. Insurers were required to stop discriminating between men and women. I do not understand why the relevant legislation permits discrimination on the basis of age. Why can this not be challenged? If one cannot discriminate on the basis of gender, why can insurance companies continue to discriminate on the basis of age, even if there may be statistical reasons for doing so?

I congratulate Mr. Griffin on the work he is doing on behalf of younger drivers. We were all younger drivers once. Motor insurance for younger drivers featured very strongly in the 1997 general election campaign during which I helped a certain Deputy. The issue was all over the "Liveline" programme which was hosted by Marian Finucane at the time. The costs of premiums for young drivers were phenomenal at the time. We thought the issue had been addressed subsequently but it has now re-emerged.

Every uninsured driver puts himself, herself and everyone else at risk. I am also concerned that the sum uninsured drivers should pay for insurance, however significant, is not being put into the pot, which results in premiums increasing for everyone else.

Mr. Faughnan made the point that insurance companies are being asked to pick up the tab for other people. I assume any company that enters a market will try to win customers from its competitors. By default, therefore, a new entrant will damage the business of other companies in the industry.