Mr. Michael Horan:

Motor claims costs increased by 44%. There was a correlation between that and premium increases. Between mid-2016 and now, the CSO index for motor shows that it is 27% lower now than it was in mid-2016. That is because the cost of motor claims has stabilised, and fallen in some cases relating to damage claims. It is not me saying that. It is the Department of Finance second motor data report. The report includes the tables for anyone to see. Equally, the Personal Injuries Commission report also took in all the data for 2015 to 2017, inclusive, and showed claims costs for soft tissue injuries increasing year on year by €900 per year. We had that significant differential identified by the Personal Injuries Commission between the UK and Ireland. There is a correlation between increasing claims costs and increasing premiums. The defining issue is to address the high level of personal injury awards, particularly for soft tissue whiplash injuries.