Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is only one way we will stop insurance fraud and that is by making people accountable. There are people whose families have a history of claims. We probably all know people or families who have made massive claims.

There is no problem with people making insurance claims that are warranted, needed and just but we have serial claimants. We have to link it to something. We have to know if they come into the courts or if families have been organising these things. They have to join the dots. There could be two or three different people coming into court every six months making claims and it is not being picked up on. There has to be accountability for it. Anyone who deserves a claim for an injury or anything, deserves it because of their health. However, people who do it on a constant basis need to be penalised, summonsed and dealt with on that basis.

Deputies said that price rises are not based on claims. If one goes to insure one's car, the insurance for a car in each county is different and depends on the claims within the county. The Minister can go online and check it. In different parts of the country, insurance for the same vehicle with the same stats are higher in certain counties because of the claims within the counties. That means there is an issue in those counties and it needs to be dealt with. The people making the fraudulent claims need to be dealt with by the heavy hand of the law. I fully support this Bill.

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