Danny Healy-Rae slams soaring insurance costs and whiplash claims
Danny Healy-Rae criticised rising motor insurance costs and called on the minister to act, citing examples of extreme premium differences for elderly and young drivers and concerns about claims costs and competition. He warned that proposed changes under Piers Daugherty's bill may not lower premiums if insurers do not pass any savings on.
Examples of price disparities
He described a case of a 70-year-old woman quoted over 800 euros for renewal who was later offered the same policy for 370 euros when a relative rang, and said young drivers are being charged 3,000 to 5,000 euros for first-time insurance.
Sectors affected
He listed taxis, commercial drivers, passengers, buses, hauliers, pubs, restaurants and hotels as being hit by high premiums, arguing the burden extends beyond private motorists.
Competition and market structure
He argued there is insufficient competition in the insurance market, saying 'Not since Sean Quinn are we getting a fair crack at the whip for insurance,' and blamed market structure for inflated prices.
Whiplash and cost-of-claims concern
He criticised the impact of whiplash claims on premiums, saying 'It has been said that the people of Ireland must have brass necks, but I say they have gold necks, because of whiplash in Ireland.' He also cited comparative cost figures, stating 'It costs roughly 70,000 euros in the UK to 7,000 euros.'
Appeal and concerns about reform
He thanked Piers de Haute and Sinn Fein for the chance to speak, appealed to the minister to take action on insurance costs, and expressed a specific worry that insurers might not reduce premiums even if differential pricing is removed under Piers Daugherty's bill.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you very much, Les Cancola. First of all, I want to thank Piers de Haute and Sinn Fein for giving us the opportunity to talk on this very important matter, as we've done on several occasions in the last Dáil, and we're still where we are. Elderly drivers, I'll just give you an example, a 70-year-old woman last year went to renew her insurance, she was quoted over 800 euros. Her son rang the same company to see what was the matter, and he was a large customer, he had a lot of vehicles, and the question they asked, is she actually your mother? They gave her the insurance for 370 euros after. Can you imagine that? Almost 500 euros of a difference. Young drivers are paralysed before they go on the road at all. It's very wrong what's happening, and being charged 3,000 to 5,000 euros for their first time insurance after they're doing all the driving lessons and all that. Taxis, commercial drivers, passengers, buses, hauliers, pubs, restaurants, hotels, and you see, it's very clear what's happening, there's not enough competition there. Not since Sean Quinn are we getting a fair crack at the whip for insurance. Cost of claims. It has been said that the people of Ireland must have brass necks, but I say they have gold necks, because of whiplash in Ireland. It costs roughly 70,000 euros in the UK to 7,000 euros. What's the difference in the next year and the next year? The difference is that we're paying more for the insurance and paying through the neck for it. It's very wrong what's happening, and Minister Pascuala, I don't know who, I'm appealing to you now to do something. And I have just one worry in relation to Piers Daugherty's bill, and I will be supported. Will the insurance companies, will they bring down the insurance in the differential pricing, if we get rid of it? Or is it up? They'll bring it. That's my worry. Thank you, I'm moving on. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
