John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It has been a year since my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, introduced the first Private Members' motion to the new Dáil. A year on, people are still facing, as he outlined, exactly the same challenges in respect of paying motor insurance.

Fianna Fáil produced a 12-point plan at the time in response to the 60% or 70% increases consumers and motorists had experienced since 2013 and 2014. Most of the recommendations in the 12-point plan have been fleshed out in a 186-page document produced by the working group. Like my colleague, I commend most of the recommendations but I am concerned about their acceleration and speed.

As Deputy Michael McGrath said, the virus of spiralling motor insurance costs has now spread to businesses, something which is more than anecdotal. When I knocked on doors in Tallaght in my constituency, I heard multiple examples of rising insurance costs in one afternoon, in particular from taxi drivers to whom Deputy Michael McGrath referred. I spoke to two couples who were taxi drivers and whose insurance increased by €1,800 in two years, which is colossal.

What comfort can we and the Minister of State offer those motorists? I heard the Minister of State speak on radio earlier, and he referred to the time it would take for things to bed in. Motorists need comfort. I spoke to a constituent whose premium increased from €500 to €2,500.

Politicians of all political hues receive queries about insurance each week, which are not confined to geography, gender or age. There seems to be a particular attack on older people. Returning emigrants simply cannot get motor insurance. As Deputy Michael McGrath said, older cars that have passed the NCT cannot be insured. The Minister of State will agree that there has to be some connection between an NCT certificate and car insurance, otherwise what is the point of getting an NCT certificate? Any tax cuts people have received and appreciated in the past three years have been wiped out by one car insurance premium.

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