Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry John Brassil says his party is the only one which has concrete measures which will effectively tackle insurance costs.
He says Fianna Fáil will deal with the problem, unlike Fine Gael, which has allowed it to escalate out of control over the past four years.
Impact on Towns and Villages
“There isn’t a town or village across Kerry that hasn’t been impacted by the insurance crisis,” said Deputy Brassil
“Drivers have been hit with exorbitant insurance costs, activity centres are facing closure and business are to the pin of their collar trying to afford the bills being charged by insurance companies.
Schools Hit by Insurance Costs
“Even schools are being affected. I’ve been contacted by principals who have had to use their capitation grants to cover insurance costs, while creche owners have had to apply for emergency funding to help them pay their premiums.
“The premiums have been driven up by fraud, large compensation awards and a lack of competition – the government has known this for a long time and has done nothing about it.
Minister’s late Meeting with Insurers
The finance minister only met with insurance companies the week before the election was called and more than three years into the crisis.
“Fianna Fáil recognised this as a major issue as far back as 2016 and brought forward a number of private members’ motions during the last Dáil.
“We will tackle insurance costs for individuals and for businesses. We will get tough on insurance fraud and tackle anti-competitive behaviour. We are committed to establish the Judicial Council to provide guidance on personal injury claims.
Garda Fraud Unit
“We will also set up a publicly funded Garda Fraud Unit, ensure that fraudulent claims are forwarded to the DPP for consideration, increase the penalties for fraudulent claims and publish insurance fraud data.
“This crisis has been allowed to spiral completely out of control under Fine Gael. We will take immediate action to tackle the issues head on and reduce costs for consumers,” Deputy Brassil concluded.
