Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Rising Cost of Motor Insurance: Discussion (Resumed)

11:00 am

Mr. Paul Redmond:

It just proves the point that they are going outside that figure and the other 80% of claims are much higher. Not only that, the problem is that within that average, and averages are dangerous numbers, while they will say it is €15,000 or €16,000 for whiplash, this can be rejected and procrastinated on and delayed by the solicitors. As Conor Faughnan noted the other day, it becomes a roulette wheel. As I pointed out in my presentation, that €23,000 becomes €50,000 per individual and if there are two, three or four in the car who all have personal injury claims, it brings it to over €100,000. That is an operating expense for a car rental company to pick up. Anything we can do to get these cases contained and ring-fenced in some fashion, and to get a settlement, is positive. Even if it has to be €15,000, which I think is crazy, let us at least start and get that bit of reform in place as quickly as possible.

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