Government asked to examine soaring motor insurance costs

The Government will this week face pressure to set up a taskforce to examine the soaring costs of motor insurance as consumers continue to be hit with huge hikes in their premiums.

The Seanad is also scheduled to sit for the first time tomorrow and its 60 members will vote for its chairman. The first point of business will be the election of a cathaoirleach in the Seanad, with Fianna Fáil’s Denis O’Donovan tipped for the role.

Fine Gael has 19 senators while Fianna Fáil has 14 and Sinn Féin has seven. Labour has five seats in the upper house while there are also two groups of independent university senators.