Motor repair costs and insurance claims
Keating asked the Minister to investigate alleged exploitation in repair charges for vehicles involved in insurance claims. Blaney added that duties make parts and replacements more expensive than in the Six Counties and England; the Minister said the wider area was under investigation.
Might I ask the Minister, in the context of this whole question, if he has investigated or will investigate particularly and specifically the area to which he referred of increasing car repair costs, particularly in regard to the degree of alleged exploitation and abuse in cases where it is clear to the repairer that the car is involved in an insurance claim? Is it not a fact that this is widely accepted as being the primary cause of inflation in car insurance?
Comment on this
I will have the Deputy's remarks taken into account. The whole matter is being investigated.
Comment on this
Might I ask the Minister to bear in mind that the incidence of high cost of repairs and replacements arising from accidents is highlighted by virtue of the fact that spares and parts are infinitely cheaper in the Six Counties and in England than they are here? It seems to be a vicious circle: that we create the increased cost by heavy duties and then we complain about this incidence in the insurance factor.