Insurance industry crisis
Deputy Moynihan highlighted severe insurance difficulties for businesses and individuals and asked for immediate action. The Minister said an 18-month implementation strategy with 33 recommendations was already in place, including a review of declined cases arrangements.
In the programme for Government and subsequent to it, many commitments have been given on the reform of the insurance industry. Is the Minister aware of the insurance crisis out there for businesses, home owners and personal insurance? A situation came to my attention during the week in which a company director whose company had a claim is now finding it nearly impossible to get personal insurance. Surely to God this goes against all regulations within the insurance industry. What plans has the Government in place to address immediately the crisis in the entire insurance industry?
Comment on this
The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Eoghan Murphy has, as the Deputy knows, published a strategy to deal with the insurance sector. It includes 33 areas of recommendation. He has set an 18-month period during which it will be implemented. I understand that part of it involves a review of the declined cases arrangement that is in place to deal with situations in which people who are legally required to have insurance are not able to get it. I believe the Government recognises that this is an area of real challenge. However, I believe if the Deputy reads the report, he will see that the sources of this problem are very numerous. It will take systematic action across a number of headings, including by the industry itself. Part of that will be to make the way insurance costs are put together more transparent. Under the Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, we will see a very determined pursuit of this issue.