Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important issue. Rising costs have been a concern. The Deputy has outlined a number of individual cases of rising costs for people seeking to renew their premiums. He mentioned both car insurance and the difficulty in obtaining insurance in other areas, including in respect of flooding. This is an issue we take very seriously. We will have a report from the working group in which Minister of State Deputy Eoghan Murphy has been involved before the end of the year. We will certainly accept any initiatives or recommendations from that working group, which has been examining the specific issues the Deputy raised. We will take on board the initiatives and recommendations and I am sure we will have a debate on the report in the Dáil once it becomes available. It will be available by the end of the year and it will examine the very issues the Deputy raised here this morning.

The Deputy will be aware that Minister of State Deputy Canney has been working with representatives of the insurance sector in respect of cases where families and individuals have not been able to get flood insurance for their homes. He is seeking a solution. I met representatives of the insurance industry last week to discuss various issues - for example, the issue of people who seek insurance but who do not produce a driving licence. Apparently, it is not compulsory at present, as the Deputy is probably aware. There are drivers who are unlicensed and without insurance, and they end up costing tens of millions of euro every year. Therefore, the insurance industry needs to act itself in regard to a range of issues.

The Deputy raised the broader question of costs and claims. A number of Bills are to be introduced in regard to settlements and agreements. Periodic payments are separate but there are new initiatives in regard to payments in court. There will be more efficient court practices dealing with people who break the law, including by carrying out road traffic offences. All this will make a difference. A range of initiatives will, I hope, see improvements regarding the increases the Deputy has been outlining.

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