Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A properly kept register of insurance claims and payouts would surely go a long way towards identifying these repeat offenders, and those who are caught should go to prison because not only are they stealing money but they are putting the public at serious risk by staging accidents on public roads. The insurance companies themselves need to up their game in this regard. The cost of insurance working group was critical of the industry's reluctance to investigate fraudulent claims properly. We really need a zero tolerance approach to such fraud, with an improved system of flagging suspicious claims and stricter penalties facing those behind them. We also need greater transparency from the insurance companies in how they calculate the cost of individual premiums, with a fair and easily accessible independent appeals process for those who have been refused insurance or who feel that they are being overcharged.

With regard to keeping costs down, I would like to see a full review of the operation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, and steps taken to prevent solicitors bypassing this option, telling their clients that they can get them more money if they go through the courts. The PIAB offers fast and efficient processing of claims, which are generally assessed within seven months, compared with possibly years going through the courts. The average sum for claims handled by the PIAB has changed very little from the start of the decade to 2016, the latest date for which official figures are available. The average award in 2010 was just under €21,000 and six years later this had only risen to €22,454, an increase of less than 7%. This indicates the board is certainly not to blame for the rise in insurance premiums in that period, and that the courts process is what needs further examination.

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