Insurance deal set to deliver lower premiums

TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan will offer a major insurance firm the State’s penalty points database to clinch a groundbreaking deal which could result in premiums being slashed by up to 15% for safe drivers.

Mr Brennan is expected to sign a deal by June 1 with the company, which has offered to pass on discounts to safe drivers in return for access to the State’s register of drivers’ penalty points.

Mr Brennan was angered by the Insurance Industry Federation’s (IIF) claim that it could only offer minimum discounts of €3.29 to safe drivers. The IIF has claimed a 10% reduction in premiums for points-free drivers would push up the premiums for drivers with penalty points to around €8,000.