The insurance company 123.ie has said it will amend a statement on its website which suggested it would not insure drivers of vehicles which do not have a valid NCT certificate.
It follows queries from RTÉ’s This Week programme to industry body Insurance Ireland about whether its member companies would continue to cover drivers who are unable to obtain a valid NCT certificate due to long delays at testing centres.
On its website up to this weekend - 123.ie informed customers their car must hold a valid NCT certificate if they wish to take out a new policy with the company.
In addition it advised current customers who had recently bought a car that did not have a valid NCT to "please contact us to see if we can offer you cover until you get the NCT".
The company warned customers involved in an accident, which is found to be caused by a mechanical fault that would have been picked up during an NCT test, that "this may affect the pay out of any claim made".
The issue was highlighted by the PARC road safety group on social media.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
However, Insurance Ireland, of which the owners of 123.ie is a member, has stated that "cover [by it's members] will continue to be provided where customers, through no fault of their own, are unable to obtain their NCT due to backlogs at test centres".
When the approach of 123.ie was queried, the company informed RTÉ’s This Week programme of an updated position that "customers should be reassured that 123.ie will not decline cover based on a delayed NCT".
It said: "In the event of a claim where a customer is awaiting an NCT, this delay will not be a factor in acceptance of their claim."
The company said it remains a requirement for customers to maintain the roadworthiness of a vehicle, and this is a key factor in the assessment of a claim.
123.ie said it acknowledges that "some of the text on its website is out of date, and this will be updated to reflect its existing practices which sought to minimise the impact of NCT delays on customers".
