Kevin Thompson, CEO of Insurance Ireland stated, “Insurance Ireland welcomes the proposal in the Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2018, being considered in the Dáil at Second Stage tonight, that when a finding of fraud is made in the courts the case should be automatically referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Cost of Insurance Working Group report identified improvements in the reporting and investigation of suspected fraudulent claims and this Bill has the potential to help create a more effective deterrent to those who may make a fraudulent insurance claim. Any initiative that helps to tackle insurance fraud, while respecting the right of genuine claimants to seek appropriate compensation, should be implemented and we call on all parties to support this proposal.

Insurance fraud is a crime and the Personal Injuries Commission highlighted the reports it received from business sources about how Ireland’s system of personal injury compensation incentivises fraudulent claims. The Commission’s report showed that for all claims up to €100,000, the average award is increasing at over €900 each year and the average soft tissue award in Ireland is €17,338 compared to €3,984 in the UK. The biggest cost factor in motor and liability insurance is the cost of personal injury compensation and we call on the Government to ensure the swift implementation of the Commission’s recommendations on rebalancing and recalibrating compensation awards”.