Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. If the recommendations are implemented, and the Minister of State says they will be by the end of 2019, it will certainly go some way towards addressing this ongoing abuse. I refer in particular to fraudulent and exaggerated claims and to a sharing of data and so on in respect of what I would consider serial claimants who have persecuted premises, small businesses, people involved in car accidents and so on. One sees many of the same names coming up again and again.

It has really been brought to my attention recently, with regard to somebody I know well, that the insurance companies are reluctant to challenge a claimant. This is often because the companies fear it would cost more to challenge the claimant in court. As a result of this, the person who has the insurance gets a loading on their policy because the insurance company pays out. The companies have a responsibility and need to face up to it. The fraudulent claimant is one thing but the reluctance of insurance companies to adequately represent the people whom they insure, as they should, is another. The Minister has said we expect this by the end of 2019.

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