Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Looking at the Government's proposal to read the Bill again in nine months' time, I cannot decide whether the Government is trying for "kick the can" champion or is planning on passing off Deputy Doherty's homework as its own. The Minister of State believes that an industry whose practices have been exposed time and again by my colleague, Deputy Doherty, and which has been found to reward loyal customers by price gouging at the time of renewal, will voluntarily disclose the savings being made and pass them on. No one is that naive. The behaviour and practices of the insurance industry make the introduction of legislation now necessary. The time for good faith has passed. This legislation will hold the insurance industry to account, requiring it to demonstrate if and how it has passed on savings to customers. That requirement is applied to the same companies in the UK, where they are more than happy to comply.

I have countless constituents and businesses that rely entirely on insurance to earn a living. Thanks to the decades-long failure of policy and non-existent public transport in Longford-Westmeath, having a car is essential if one needs to get to work or college. Businesses are being priced out of existence. The Minister of State should come to Kilbeggan. I will introduce him to businesses that are no longer operating because of the cost of insurance.

The dogs on the street know that people are being taken advantage of. As one constituent put it to me, this was happening while the Government was doing less than nothing. Do not insult people's intelligence and expect them to believe that an industry that has taken advantage of them time and again, year in and year out, will step up and do the right thing.

I do not believe that the Minister of State believes that himself so I ask him not to try to sell it here in this House or to the hard-working people who are being priced out of existence because of insurance premiums.

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