Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as ucht an deis chun labhairt ar an topaic seo. I commend the Rural Independent Group. As Deputy O'Brien outlined, we will put forward an amendment to the motion.

I and many other Deputies from all parties spoke strongly on this issue almost two years ago. I find it unbelievable that we are back here again saying the very same thing. The Government is continuing to drag its heels and allow the motor insurance industry to carry out highway robbery. It is nothing short of highway robbery. We need a crackdown on this and actions need to be implemented. The report is not worth the paper it is written on if we do not implement the actions it recommends. I hope that after tonight we will see some action. My constituents in Offaly are becoming very frustrated, and rightly so. It is unacceptable that the motor insurance industry is allowed to carry on in the manner in which it doing. As Deputy O'Brien outlined, the spin which asserts that motorists are to blame for the premium increases is not fact. It seems that when the industry makes unsubstantiated claims in respect of matters such as fraud or large claims, the House sits on its hands and accepts that rhetoric without question. Is this another example of pandering to corporations and big entities? That seems to be the case in this State.

Where the State compels the citizen, by law, to carry an insurance product, it has an obligation to directly provide an affordable solution or regulate third parties that do so. In this case, the State is doing neither. Where the State compels a citizen to put his or her vehicle through a compulsory roadworthiness test such as the national car test, NCT, or the commercial vehicle roadworthiness test, CVRT, and the vehicle attains a standard required, there is an obligation to ensure that insurers do not treat it less favourably than any other vehicle which attains the same standard of roadworthiness. The NCT fiasco is nothing short of discrimination. There are cases of vehicles passing the NCT but elderly people who own older vehicles or younger drivers either not being allowed to insure their cars or receiving excessive quotes. That is totally unacceptable. The insurance companies are allowed to get away with it.

The impact of this outrageous State-approved extortion weighs more heavily on rural people than those in urban centres who have the luxury of public transport. We do not have that luxury in rural Ireland. There has to be an answer to this. For those who cannot finance unacceptably high premiums, it militates against their access and opportunities to work, prohibits their access to community services and significantly diminishes their quality of life. Earlier today, I was contacted by a parent who knew the motion was to be debated in the House. Her son holds a full driving licence and was previously a named driver on his parents' insurance. He was quoted €3,500 for a policy in his own name. As a result, this young man has had to turn down a much sought after apprenticeship. We should be encouraging young people, not prohibiting them. That is exactly what is happening here. Action is required. Despite public anger and repeated debate in the House, the fiasco and the scandal go on. What is happening needs to stop.

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