Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As this is my first time to address the House I want to express my thanks to the people of Wicklow and east Carlow for the opportunity and honour to represent a new type of politics which hopefully can be introduced in this Dáil. I appreciate and share the frustration of people over the length of time the Government formation process is taking but I want to thank all those Deputies who are trying to resolve this so that I can get down to the job that I was elected to do, which is to find realistic solutions to the many problems facing this country.

I come from a long business and community background, and I want to use the experience I have in these areas to provide solutions to the problems that my fellow citizens face. I want to work with every Deputy in the House, regardless of party affiliation to enable the Dáil to be a Parliament that provides an inclusive and comprehensive analysis of our problems and, vitally, to put in place measures that will address these issues in a manner that is accountable.

It is acknowledged that increasing insurance premiums are an unacceptable pressure that individuals, families, farmers, businesses and communities are facing year-in year-out, without any adequate explanation to Government or to the Dáil. The true profits being made in this industry are not nearly transparent enough to justify the rising costs to Irish citizens. In fairness to the insurance industry, Ireland risks creating a claims culture unless we have a realistic view of personal responsibility and unless fraudulent claims are prosecuted as a serious crime.

Insurance costs have been rising relentlessly for families and businesses. The CPI indicates that in the 12 months to March 2016 motor insurance premiums have gone up by 32%. Since December 2011 motor insurance premiums have risen by a massive 50.6%. This is way ahead of the general rate of inflation over the same period.

One of the ways to help resolve rising motor premiums which in the past year have risen by 30% is to re-establish the Motor Insurance Advisory Board whose recommendations reduced insurance costs by 40% between 2002 and 2013.

As I said, there should be full transparency surrounding insurance costs. The income of ten companies which underwrite motor and liability insurance is worth €1.4 billion a year. Total compensation awarded in 2014 was €335 million. There is a gap of €1 billion between premium income and awards made.

The term “public liability” sends shivers down the spine of every small business and community group which owns a facility or runs an event. This week, the Small Firms Association warned of a crisis for businesses due to a compo culture which is leading to increases in public liability insurance premiums. The Freight Transport Association of Ireland has warned that a recent award of €40,000 in damages to an injured hillwalker in Wicklow will have a negative impact on insurance premiums and should be reviewed by the Court of Appeal. It said the award against the National Parks and Wildlife Service was “excessive, setting a precedent for future claims, and ultimately forcing insurance premiums to rise”. I was also struck by the response of Mountaineering Ireland when it stated:

The mountaineering community has a long held and proud tradition of personal responsibility. Mountaineering Ireland feels that today’s judgment runs contrary to this long-established principle. We cannot continue to live our lives without the acceptance of personal responsibility in the belief that every misfortune is someone else’s responsibility.

The last line In particular has significance in this debate. As an hotelier in Glendalough, County Wicklow, I know more than most the value of outdoor recreation as a key economic and tourism pillar of rural Ireland. I have worked all my life both in the tourism sector and with organisations, such as County Wicklow Partnership, Wicklow Uplands Council, Coillte, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wicklow County Council and private landowners, to develop and promote an agreed an open walking trails policy which is an essential part of our rural economic infrastructure. It is my consistent and confirmed view that any regeneration of rural Ireland must further develop and promote this industry which provides sustainable employment and income to every county on this island.

The past week has seen outdoor recreation in the countryside being put at unacceptable risk due to the award of damages to an injured hillwalker. On a positive note, the decision has resulted in a remarkable unity of purpose being shown by diverse organisations, such as the IFA and Mountaineering Ireland, which are at one in expressing shock at this decision. It is essential for the protection of our outdoor recreation sector and landowners that the State undertakes to introduce a blanket insurance cover for upland areas. In return, agreed and accessible walking routes can be developed and crucially maintained. I thank the House for its consideration of this issue.

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