Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has strongly criticised the government for its failure to implement a series of recommendations contained in the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance.

The government released the fifth progress update on the report last week, managing to slip it out under the radar and conceal its lack of action on the issue.

Deputy Brendan Smith commented, “The timing of the release of this progress report in itself speaks volumes.  There has virtually been no media coverage of the information, which reveals minimum action on the issue of tackling high insurance costs.  For all of their talk on the issue, motor insurance customers, businesses, charities, sports clubs and lots of other people are paying way over the odds for insurance.

“Many of the recommendations contained in the report have still not been implemented.  One of the key measures was that customers would be given reasons as to why their insurance premium had increased.  This is not happening and customers are being fobbed off with generic excuses.

“The establishment of a National Claims Information Database was another key recommendation.  The legislation to establish the database was to be enacted by the end of 2017, however it has not even been introduced and looks unlikely to come before the Dáil until at least the second half of 2018.

“These issues are all being set to the side by a government which is not serious about standing up for consumers.

“Fine Gael has shown no interest in tackling the issue of high insurance costs.  As a result, motorists, businesses, charities and sports clubs are being ripped off.  These high premiums could potentially threaten competitiveness and affordability and the government needs to wake up to the seriousness of this issue”.