Martin slammed on motor insurance

Labour Party Spokesman on Youth Affairs, Senator Michael McCarthy, has vowed to keep the pressure on Minister Micheál Martin concerning the exorbitant motor insurance costs faced by young people throughout Ireland.

Senator McCarthy commented: “The Government continually claims to be seeking solutions to this issue, and say that it represents a high policy priority in their programme.

“Yet the new Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment didn’t even refer to the issue when ‘setting out his stall’ on his priorities in his briefing to the media last weekend.

“As far back as March 2003, I debated this issue in Seanad Éireann when senators from Government parties agreed that the issue merited attention and action.

“Despite the Tánaiste establishing a study of the matter by the Competition Authority and its first Interim Report in February 2004, and the interim establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), there has still been no action on lowering insurance costs.

“I therefore call on Minister Martin to enable younger drivers to get insurance cover at a reasonable price.

“We don’t need further reviews. We don’t need further studies or reports. We need effective actions,” he declared.