A working group set up to address the rising cost of motor insurance has recommended the establishment of a personal injuries commission to offer guidance on compensation claims.
The purpose of the commission is to investigate and make recommendations on processes in other jurisdictions, which could enhance the claims process in Ireland.
This will include the commissioning of medical research, benchmarking of international awards for personal injury cases, analysing and reporting on international compensation levels, as well as compensation mechanisms.
Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns has been appointed as Chairperson of the new commission.
In its report, the Cost of Insurance Working Group also recommends a national claims database to address “the lack of transparency in the claims area”, as well as a “fully functioning database” to allow gardaí to address the issue of uninsured drivers and suspected insurance fraud.
The group suggests these records are located in the Central Bank.
Govt announces measures to tackle rising motor insurance costs. pic.twitter.com/pOZZsS2eUN
— David Murphy (@davidmurphyRTE) January 10, 2017
The report was delivered to the Government this afternoon and sets out a comprehensive package of measures to tackle identified problems in the motor insurance sector.
A total of 33 recommendations were made, with 71 associated actions to be carried out.
The Chair of the working group, Minister of State Eoghan Murphy, said the implementation of the report’s recommendations “will lead to greater stability in the pricing of motor insurance and will help prevent the volatility that we have seen in the market in the past”.
He added the steps should “better facilitate potential new entrants to the market".
CEO of insurer FBD Fiona Muldoon said her company welcomed the report and that she was "pleased to see the plans to create a personal injuries commission to benchmark awards internationally and the proposals to strengthen the Injuries Board assessment process.
"These are measures we have previously advocated as real tangible ways to improve the claims environment in this country."
