Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The good news is that this Bill to ban dual pricing by insurance companies will be passed. The bad news is that, rather than allowing the Bill to proceed to the next stage quickly, the Government has instead delayed its passage by nine months. The fact that the Government did not oppose this legislation outright is testament to those who have highlighted the insurance rip-off in this country. I commend all of those motorists, homeowners, businesspeople, childcare managers, community groups and others who have publicly told their stories of despicable practices and unjustified premium hikes by the insurance industry. I thank all of those people who contacted their Government Deputies asking them to support this week's Bill to ban dual pricing. I am firmly of the view that, without their efforts, the Government would undoubtedly have voted against this Bill entirely. Anyone listening to the Minister will have heard somebody who is wedded to the status quo, who is happy to allow insurance companies to continue fleecing their customers, and who had to be taken kicking and screaming to the point we have reached today. Above all, I commend Deputy Doherty, who has done more than any other single person to expose the price gouging and uncompetitive and downright reprehensible activities of the insurance industry. He has also highlighted the inactivity, verging on outright complicity, of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. Without Deputy Doherty's efforts, we would not have had the spotlight shone on these practices which have been such a burden on ordinary workers, families and businesses. Without his tenacity, we would not have known of the lengths to which insurance companies will go to squeeze every last cent from their customers and, therefore, the Government would not have tackled these issues. It is fair to say that without Deputy Doherty, many people would not even know what dual pricing is, let alone be part of this campaign to outlaw it.

Let us remind ourselves that dual pricing is the mechanism that insurance companies use to fleece their most loyal customers, who are often their most vulnerable ones. This practice will be banned because of the efforts of Deputy Doherty and of all those people who got behind this campaign. The Government may be able to delay progress but it will not stop it. I commend this Bill to the House.

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