Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for attending. The discussion is quite enlightening. We all know insurance has long been a problem. I recall during an election campaign in 1997 motor insurance for young people was a major issue.

Mr. Boland referred to the book of quantum being revised. Is it fair to say that the book of quantum is just the historical, statistical analysis of what has happened? If so, I do not know how it can be redrafted. Can he tease out his point on that?

He made a point about the Garda insurance fraud unit, saying the Minister tells us there is not enough support in the House for this. Did he give any evidence for this, or any suggestion as to why? I commend all the witnesses but particularly the Alliance for Insurance Reform because it covers not only community bodies, which we are talking about today but also the Vintner's Federation of Ireland, VFI, and the Licensed Vintners Association, LVA, which is my nominating body, the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, RGDATA and the restaurant associations. There are businesses all over the country.

I was speaking to an insurance broker last week and he was more on the side of the client than of the insurance companies. He deals with a business of significant size that is wondering if it needs to close because insurance costs have increased so much that it cannot afford to exist if it continues to have to pay out this dead money. I have certainly heard that after people have made a claim for a trip or fall, two years later the CCTV in the premises is gone and half of the staff has changed. The same people are not in the building for two years. That happens a lot in the hospitality industry.

Will Mr. Boland touch on the Garda insurance fraud issue and why the Minister said that? The VFI and the LVA, which are alliance members, were before the committee a year ago to discuss, in particular, public liability in pubs. We are hearing all that we heard from them again. It is shocking, particularly in respect of the settling of claims, and their members not even being told they are being settled. They are being settled because the insurer discovers a different judge is sitting and pays out a bit more because that judge is more generous than another one. I know the witnesses cannot provide solutions for everything but they have highlighted some of them. Is there anything else they want to say to us? What percentage of claims do they think are spurious or vexatious? Ms McGuinness touched on that in referring to the mart. Could that apply equally to festivals? Is there an industry in this? A total of 8% of motor insurance claims relate to material damage. Some are entitled to it but what percentage of the claims does Mr. Boland think are vexatious or spurious and not justified across all sectors?