Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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28. To ask the Minister for Finance for an update on the Action Plan for Insurance Reform launched last July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48366/26]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government is progressing the actions set out in the Action Plan for Insurance Reform 2025–2029 to further strengthen the insurance sector in Ireland. The Action Plan itself sets out a number of priority actions, focused on areas where the greatest impact on transparency, affordability and availability of insurance can be achieved.

As part of this, the Motor Transparency Code was introduced in March 2026, and implementation is currently being carried out on a phased basis. Substantial progress has also been made on the “Right to be Forgotten” legislation and it is my intention that this legislation will be enacted in advance of the summer recess.

In terms of other notable progress, the National Claims Information Database (NCID) has implemented faster data releases, and the Central Bank of Ireland is also progressing further actions to enhance the utilisation of NCID data. Officials from my Department have also recently met with the Garda Insurance Fraud Co-ordination Office (GIFCO) and have shared the insights gained with industry stakeholders and will continue to engage on this matter.

Work has also progressed on the Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2026, which will bring greater consistency and clarity to the review process for personal injuries guidelines. In addition, the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) delivered its first benchmarking report “Review of Compensation for Minor Soft-tissue Injuries in Ireland and the UK’, which showed the need for further reform to ensure Irish award levels are in line with other jurisdictions.

In relation to flood insurance, I am in the process of establishing a Flood Insurance Protection Gap Working Group to drive forward potential solutions to the flood insurance protection gap, which will support homeowners who are having difficulty accessing flood insurance.

The Government is firmly committed to the implementation of the reforms set out in the Programme for Government and the 2025 Action Plan for Insurance Reform. These measures are intended to support the development of a fairer, more sustainable, and more competitive insurance market, delivering tangible improvements in cost, choice, and access for all consumers.