Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also commend my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, on bringing this Bill before the House and on having it in him to take on the insurance industry and calling stop on the insurance rip off. I will pick up on something the Minister of State said. He has chosen to engage in semantics, instead of dealing with the extensive research on this price-gouging practice. Dual pricing, differential pricing and price optimisation refer to the same practice. I am very disappointed by the Government’s amendment, which is kicking the can down the road. I did not hear the Minister of State talk about the reality here. A reality check is needed here because drivers are being forced to pay these high prices, when in rural Ireland in particular there are simply no other options other than to drive for essential journeys.

Dual pricing is wrong and it must be banned. It has been banned in other countries and this must be done here also without delay. What other industry targets customers for being loyal? It is working out well for them because the insurance business is one lucrative business. There is no denying this practice is happening, and we need the Government to step up to the mark to deal with this issue immediately, rather than simply kicking the can down road. One man told me that he just got his car insurance renewal quote. One company quoted him €1,525, another company quoted him €749 and another €540. Is there any reason to that? Of course there is not, it is just a handy way for the big insurance companies to make a profit on the back of ordinary workers and families.

The reality is that the costs are extortionate.

A woman contacted me to tell me that her daughter is learning to drive and she said:

We’ve been trying to get our daughter insurance quotes as a new driver. We may as well not bother. Who has €5,500 to insure their child as a provisional driver to get experience? Even when she passes her test it doesn’t get much cheaper, it is €3,500. How on earth can insurance companies justify their prices?

Is Bille fíorthábhachtach é seo atá curtha os comhair na Dála inniu. Tá sé thar am dúinn déileáil le déphraghsáil. Níl tionscail ar bith eile ann a ghearrann pionós ar chustaiméirí mar go bhfuil siad dílis do chomhlacht. Ní cóir go mbeadh sé de chead ag comhlachtaí praghas amháin a lua ar an bhfón agus praghas iomlán difriúil a thabhairt nuair a dhéantar fiosrúchán ar líne. Caithfear rud éigin a dhéanamh faoi seo. Impím ar an Rialtas tacú leis an mBille seo.

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