Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise with the Leader the very serious matter of car insurance and the huge increase in cost during the past year. It has increased by approximately 40%, on average. This is extraordinarily difficult for so many people throughout the country. In places that do not have trains and buses - large chunks of Ireland - it is a tax on work. It makes it almost impossible for young people and people generally to get to work in these areas. It has become a real difficulty. It is a real issue for so many families. It could represent hundreds of euro in increases and it is not sustainable for people. This needs immediate action.

I am aware of and welcome the fact that the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is chairing a working group on car insurance to look at solutions. I understand the group will report quickly. I put it to the Leader that we need action on this and we need a debate on it. We need a series of actions across a number of Departments. They must happen now in the coming months since most car insurance renewals begin in the spring and in January. This needs resolution in the short term. A range of areas need to be looked at, including claims and the nature of claims. A complete package of areas needs to be looked at. All I am saying is that this is an extraordinary hardship on people. It is a tax on work. It is very unfair and affects many drivers. A person was talking to me this morning who has an absolutely clean record and yet the insurance has gone up by something like €700. The person has no record of accidents or malpractice.

It is a serious matter. It is probably one of the greatest difficulties confronting ordinary people trying to go about normal business. I am not talking about leisure driving; I am talking about people trying to get to work. I hope we can have action and a debate on the matter.