Troy blasts "hand-off approach" of Fine Gael to insurance rip-offs

Westmeath Fianna Fáil election candidate and local TD, Robert Troy, has promised that his party will tackle the “dysfunctional insurance market” head on if elected to Government by introducing a raft of tough new measures.

Speaking at the launch of his Party's policy to stem exorbitant insurance costs in Dublin this morning (Tuesday), Deputy Troy blasted what he described as Fine Gael's “hands-off approach” which he said has led to “young drivers being priced off the road, activity and play centres and creches closing and festivals being called off.”

The Westmeath TD said the ambivalence of Fine Gael has led to special schools having to use their capitation grants to cover insurance costs, pre-schools seeking support from Government to stay in business, nursing homes under threat and the entire hospitality sector struggling to obtain cover with so many insurance companies exiting the market.

“The premiums have been driven up by fraud, large compensation awards and a lack of competition, and while the outgoing Government have known about this for a long time, they have done nothing about it” declared Deputy Troy “four years into this crisis, and not a single Cabinet Minister took the time to meet with insurers, despite repeated warnings from Fianna Fáil in the Dail.”

The local Fianna Fáil election candidate said his Party had put forward “multiple solutions” that the Government could use “but they didn't listen....and the first time any Cabinet Minister took an interest (in this issue) was days before the general election was called, when Paschal Donohoe eventually agreed to meet stakeholders in the insurance sector” claimed Deputy Troy.