Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not believe we should understate the importance of the rising cost of motor insurance. I will support any measures that are brought forward to help reduce the cost of motor insurance for young people, taxi drivers, hauliers and all those working in industries affected by this issue. However, the measures brought forward by the Government are not having a quick enough impact. I do not say this lightly. I say it because that is what I hear regularly from our young people, taxi drivers, road hauliers and people in many other sectors of society. They become disillusioned when they learn their premiums are being increased by 15% with no meaningful reason given for such a rise. Older people, in particular, who have never had a claim against them and have never had penalty points on their licences are very aggrieved, and rightly so. I do not know where the Minister of State is getting his figures for the reduction because everybody I speak to says the premiums are going up. Nobody has told me that their premiums are going down on an annual basis.

For over 12 months Fianna Fáil has been calling for action on the rising cost of motor insurance. In 2014, motor insurance increased by 11.6% and in 2015 it increased by almost 30%. In the 12 months since December 2016, private motor insurance increased by 12%. These are staggering figures.

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