No deterrent to insurance fraud, claims Flanagan

Investigations and prosecutions are too infrequent to act as a deterrent against fraudulent behaviour, Justice and Equality Minister Charlie Flanagan has said.

Mr Flanagan, speaking at Insurance Ireland’s fifth fraud conference in Dublin yesterday, said that he is “determined to address” the problem.

He said escalating costs of insurance cover in recent years had led people to change their mindset, and exaggerated, opportunistic insurance fraud is one of the factors contributing to rising premiums which have affected people so severely.