Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Rural Independent Group on bringing forward the motion. The issue I will focus on is young drivers, particularly those in rural Ireland. My wife and I were insured by a particular company. Last year, we contacted the company to see if we could get a quote for my son to become an insured driver. It would not give us a quote so when we were renewing our insurance we went to a different company. We did so out of pure thickness more than anything else, because we would not deal with that company any more. I have four children growing up. They are all teenagers. Where will we go in the next five or six years if we cannot get insurance for any of them to drive a car? That is the problem many people have in rural Ireland.

Technology plays a role. Many of these companies can put a device in a car to monitor where it goes, how fast it is driven and if there are any erratic manoeuvres made. Even with that, companies quote €5,000 and €6,000 to a person of 18 or 19 years of age to get insurance on a car with a 1 l or 2 l engine, which one would not get above 60 mph in any event even if one was trying to. Reality has to kick in here. These insurance companies are discriminating against young people for no apparent reason. I appeal to the Minister of State. In a situation where they have the technology to monitor driving, they should be made to quote an insurance premium that is appropriate and makes sense. They should not be paying any more than €1,000 for insurance where the insurer can watch what the driver is doing. They have the eye in the sky and they can text drivers if they go over the speed limit. That is the kind of technology that exists yet they continue to charge outrageous prices.

Young people starting off need to be given a chance. The Government has a role in this but, unfortunately, it is not playing its part. If this is the one issue with which the Minister of State can deal, then I appeal to him to do so. It is something that will have a huge impact on many individuals, particularly young people in rural Ireland and young families starting off. If a young person wants to get a part-time job somewhere and he or she can get a car and get going in life, it is a huge advantage to him or her and gives him or her confidence for life. That confidence is eroded entirely if people cannot get insurance. I appeal to the Minister of State to sort out that.

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