Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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128. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of applications made and accepted, respectively, for declined insurance in each month of 2017 and each year since 2014 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53793/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The operation of the Declined Cases Agreement is not a function that either I, as Minister for Finance, or my Department have responsibility for.

Having said that, it should be noted that the Cost of Insurance Working Group recommended the Declined Cases Agreement should be made more transparent under the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance. On foot of this recommendation, Insurance Ireland submitted a report on the operation of the Agreement to my Department in July of this year. In their report, Insurance Ireland states that it “believes that the time may be correct for a review of elements” of the Agreement. My Department accepted this proposal and has since hosted two workshops with relevant stakeholders who are examining what elements of the Agreement need to be amended or refined. I understand further workshops will take place in the New Year.

In relation to the specific data sought by the Deputy, my officials contacted Insurance Ireland seeking the relevant information.  In response Insurance Ireland provided statistics on the number of cases that they have dealt and these are set out in the table below. The figures provided for 2017 relate only to the first six months of the year as the figures for the second half of the year will not be available till early 2018.

In relation to these cases Insurance Ireland have informed my Department that they secured a quotation for the applicants in question through the Agreement and as such they therefore consider all applications to have been ultimately successful.