Campaign group fears key liability insurance study will become 'just another report'

Peter Boland, director of the Alliance for Insurance Reform.

Campaign group, the Alliance for Insurance Reform fears a study by the Competition Commission that put the spotlight back on the hikes in public liability insurance facing businesses will gather dust and become "just another report".

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, or CCPC, earlier this week said its survey found that prices of liability premiums have risen by up to 20% in three years, and that community and sports clubs have -- as they have long complained -- suffered the worst of the price hikes. 

The watchdog wants better data and urges actions by the Central Bank and Department of Finance to help improve matters and other measures that may help encourage more entrants into the Irish market. 

However, Peter Boland, who heads up the Alliance for Insurance Reform, said he doesn't want the watchdog's study to become "just another report" and wants the European Commission which is investigating parts of the motor insurance industry to widen its probe to also look at the public liability insurers.   

He said the alliance liked the watchdog's recommendation to bolster the role of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and wants more detailed information on the "hidden" insurance costs facing the "Irish commercial, voluntary and community sectors". 

The report by the CCPC found there was "reduced availability of public liability insurance seems to be primarily impacting certain sectors such as community and sports groups", its chairperson Isolde Goggin said.

"The study found that a lack of independent, public data on the insurance market, as well as a lack of open access to claims history information, may be acting as barriers to market entry," Ms Goggin said. 

"The lack of data on the operation of the market causes problems for policymakers as they work to improve the market for public liability customers," she said. 

"The study also finds that customers should be supported to better engage with the market. It recommends that the role and remit of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board should be enhanced to provide a more stable and lower-cost claims environment," she added.