Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Bay North Denise Mitchell has called on government to introduce reforms to insurance in order to protect citizens and businesses in Dublin Bay North.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday (Wednesday) evening Teachta Mitchell said:

“Sinn Féin has been vocal for many years in advocating for insurance reforms and some progress has been made in this Dáil, but we all know the latest reforms aren’t enough.

“Since they were introduced we’ve seen the average personal injury award drop by 42%.

“But even with these reductions, consumers don’t feel like the savings being made by insurance companies are being passed on to them.

“The idea of the reforms was to reduce premiums, but many of my constituents have come to me telling me about sky-high premiums that they’re being quoted.

“We have seen minimal reductions in motor insurance, but businesses are saying that public liability insurance premiums have increased over that period.

“The results of the latest survey by the Alliance for Insurance Reform make for grim reading. They found that of the 954 respondents, liability insurance premiums have increased by 16%. 42% of those surveyed said insurance costs were a threat to their business.

“This has seen childcare providers and many other types of businesses closing their doors in Dublin Bay North, with huge impact on the communities that used to use their services. 

“Government needs to ensure that citizens will be protected from inflation in the insurance sector too. They could progress Pearse Doherty’s Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill for a start. It would allow us to get a real-time picture of the savings being passed on to the consumer.

“We must also progress the legislation that rebalances the duty of care, making insurance affordable for small businesses and the community and voluntary sector.

“People need to be protected, particularly when these companies are posting massive profits.”