Research shows an average 20% rise in insurance premiums

Rising insurance premiums are keeping the cost of running a car up, at a time when fuel prices are falling.

Research from the AA shows the average cost of keeping a family car on the road for a year is €10,594, down just €18 on last year's figure.

It comes as fuel prices are down about 7% on last year, with any gains at the pump being wiped out by an average 20% rise in insurance premiums for the typical motorist.

Conor Faughnan from the AA has said that insurance premiums are rising for a number of reasons, including that they were too low for too long.

"There is some things that are real, there is more traffic, more crashes, that is true. The cost of settling claims is going up particularly legal costs, that is true. There is too much fraud going on and we are too tolerant of it, that is true," said Mr Faughnan.

"But the bigger problem, the reason why the increase is 20%, the industry collectively were under-pricing, they were at each others throats and they were involved in an unsustainable price war."