Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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31. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the current situation regarding motor insurance; the measures he has taken to address it; if he has met the Minister for Finance on the matter; the proposals his Department has on the way to resolve the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38839/16]

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I seek the Minister's view on the current position on motor insurance. What measures has he taken to address the problem? Has he met the Minister for Finance on the matter? What proposals does his Department have on how to resolve it? Will he make a statement on the matter?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I have not arranged a meeting with the Minister for Finance to specifically discuss the cost of motor insurance. My officials have met Department of Finance officials through a joint group that carried out a review of the future framework for motor insurance compensation in Ireland following the Setanta Insurance liquidation case. The report of the group is available on the Department of Finance's website.

My Department is very active in the cost of motor insurance working group established by the Minister for Finance some months ago. The group includes representatives from relevant Departments, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Injuries Board and the State Claims Agency. I understand its report which will take into account the recent Oireachtas joint committee report on the cost of motor insurance will be presented to the Minister for Finance in the coming weeks and published shortly thereafter.

Full implementation of the Government's road safety strategy for the period 2013 to 2020 should over time, taking account of the current mid-term review, lead to a reduction in the numbers of road traffic collisions, fatalities and injuries. This can make an important contribution to reducing the cost of motor insurance, as road safety has delivered in the relatively recent past.

I recently met representatives of the insurance industry, together with the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, to press the insurance industry to deliver as soon as possible a motor insurance database that would indicate to An Garda Síochána who was insured and who was not. This is very important. The development of such a database in the United Kingdom has in the past, together with police enforcement, led to a significant reduction in the level of uninsured driving there. We anticipate that they will report to us very shortly.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister did not quite make it clear whether he had seen or read the joint committee's report on the rising cost of motor insurance. The rising cost of motor insurance is extremely troubling. The Minister said in June that explanations were required and that further investigation was needed. I am glad that he met representatives of Insurance Ireland and the Minister for Justice and Equality, as he said he would. The reality is that up until July 2016, insurance premiums had risen year on year by 38%. In the last three-year cycle they had increased by up to 70%. Many people have reached the stage where they cannot get a quote. It is impossible and they are being priced out of the market. Given that it is a legal requirement to have motor insurance, the increases put people in a very difficult set of circumstances.

Insurance companies state fraud is a major issue in the sector. Perhaps it is - I am sure there is an element of it - but if the companies claim fraudulent claims result in an increase in insurance premiums in the order of €50, it does not go anywhere near explaining the huge increases, sometimes in the order of 200% or 300%. Will the Minister consider having or support some kind of public nationalised insurance scheme for vehicles, given that having motor insurance is a legal obligation?

At the same time, we leave the entire matter in the hands of the private market.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have exceeded the-----

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister give support for this?

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have to stick to the minute. Otherwise, Deputies will be waiting. That applies to the Minister also.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and accept that fully.

I will not consider that at the moment, Deputy, but when we met the insurance companies, we faced a lack of adequate information. That is why we have sought for them to revert to us with more information. We are keen to get information about who is insured. That database should be improved. Once we have the information on who is insured, we will find out the more telling issue, namely, who is not insured. An issue that disturbed us when we met the insurance industry was the fact that there are still accidents being caused by people who are driving alone on provisional licences.

My principal role in the issue that the Deputy has raised, that of motor insurance, is to ensure that the number of accidents comes down because that will reduce insurance costs. In that role, I must put increased pressure on the State agencies involved to reduce the number of road deaths.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Do the insurance companies approach the Minister and tell him that, if he revises the Road Traffic Acts, it might help to reduce premiums? Given that there are road traffic crashes and tragedies, do insurance companies tell his Department that, if it upgrades speed laws for town approaches or country roads, they will reduce drivers' premiums?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Not in my experience. It has not happened yet.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Bailey is not present, so we will move on to Deputy Durkan's question. He is familiar with the Standing Orders.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I should be at this stage.