John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the progress he and the motor insurance working group have made in the establishment of an anti-fraud unit within An Garda Síochána in order to reduce insurance fraud and uninsured driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23710/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Recommendation 26 of the ‘Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance’, published in January 2017, relates to exploring the potential for further cooperation between the insurance sector and An Garda Síochána in relation to insurance fraud investigation. Specifically, this involves considering the feasibility of establishing a specialised and dedicated insurance fraud unit within An Garda Síochána, funded by industry.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) has engaged with Insurance Ireland, submitting a mechanism for further cooperation and a costed proposal to Insurance Ireland in the latter half of 2017. Insurance Ireland has agreed to explore the proposal further, subject to a full cost benefit analysis, to be carried out by Insurance Ireland’s Chief Financial Officers Working Group. The intention would be that such a dedicated Garda unit would be funded by Insurance Ireland members and non-members alike, i.e. all entities writing non-life insurance business in Ireland. 

Further progress on this recommendation is dependent upon the outcome of this cost benefit analysis, which is currently awaited. Insurance Ireland has indicated that it expects to be in a position to provide an update in this regard by the end of June 2018.

Any proposed agreed mechanism will, of course, ultimately be subject to the approval of the Garda Commissioner and myself, as Minister for Justice and Equality.