
Car insurance premiums were up 9% during first half of 2024
The average motor insurance premium increased by 9% during the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year, with insurance companies seeing a significant increase in total premiums paid, a new report by the Central Bank of Ireland shows.
During the first six months of 2024, there were more than 1.18 million policies written, with the gross cost of those premiums valued at €729m. During the same period in 2023, there were over 1.16 million policies written, with a combined gross value of €655m.
Between January and June last year, the average written motor insurance premium cost €616 compared to the €567 recorded throughout 2023. Since the second half of 2022, the average written premium has increased by 12%.
While the average premium increased during the first half of 2024, it is still below its peak during the period July to December in 2017. At that point, the average insurance premium cost €729.
The majority, 93% of these policies were for fully comprehensive insurance, as third-party, fire, and theft policies continued to decrease.
The data is derived from firms that make up 98% of the private motor insurance market in Ireland.
Last October, the Central Bank reported that insurance companies saw profits increase by 8% to €105m in 2023.
Following the introduction of a new detection system in 2024, the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads has almost halved — data published last week by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland found.
The MIBI said just over 4% of vehicles on the road were uninsured in 2024, compared to 8.3% of vehicles in 2022.
The data comes from the Irish Motor Insurance Database, which collects information from insurers, brokers, fleet owners, and motor traders to compile details of policy holders, vehicle registration numbers, and the names of drivers permitted to drive that vehicle under the policy.
This data is then shared with the Department of Transport and An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí can check a vehicle's insurance status on the roadside and take action if a driver is uninsured.
Last year, MIBI said there were 101,881 uninsured private vehicles against an overall total of 2.4 million. In 2022, this number was 187,803 against a total of 2.25 million.
Last week, the Government launched the public consultation phase to support the Action Plan on Insurance Reform.
The Government said the next phase of the plan would focus on measures to grow the insurance market to increase availability and improve affordability, strengthen consumer protections, and address transparency and affordability across all types of insurance.
Read More
Grocery price inflation rises to 4.9% following busy Easter period
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
RTÉ coverage of Pope Francis's funeral and election of Pope Leo cost €150k
RTÉ's coverage of the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent election of Pope Leo cost the broadcaster €150,000. Figures released under Freedom of Information show that the broadcaster's extensive coverage of the death of the pontiff included €4,200 in venue hire and over €1,200 in subsistence costs for management grade staff from Radio 1, with the overall costs of travel, hotels, and subsistence coming in at around €150,000 in total. RTÉ provided hours of coverage across its platforms upon the death of Pope Francis in April, including his funeral and the election of American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and the successor to Francis as Pope Leo. The station's output included a special broadcast of its flagship Prime Time programme with records showing that staff airfares and hotels for that show cost around €3,600. While the cost of flights was one of the larger outlays, some airfares came in at as little as €13. The world's media and thousands of pilgrims descended on the Vatican City upon the death of Pope Francis, with mourners standing in line for hours to pay their final respects while his body lay in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral. That was followed by coverage ahead of the papal conclave which lasted just over a day and a half and resulted in the election of the first American pope. In response to the FOI request, RTÉ said: "In relation to hotels, it is not possible to extract a precise spend on this alone so we have included 'staff subsistence' which would cover this and other costs. "Similar to civil and public servants, RTÉ personnel were paid to a set 'day rate' which would cover the cost of accommodation as well as food etc. "[T]he costs incurred were necessary to allow RTÉ fulfil its obligations to provide comprehensive coverage of two major global events across radio, television and online in both Irish and English. "Those who travelled provided many hours of coverage for all radio and television news and current affairs programming as well as online content spanning the days between the death of Pope Francis to the election of Pope Leo." Read More Pope Leo XIV calls for aid to reach Gaza in first general audience


RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
€5bn plan to turn Athlone into a green city unveiled
A €5bn master plan has been unveiled for a new green city in Athlone as a solution to Ireland's future population growth. The blueprint by Ballymore Group aims to cater for a population of 100,000 by 2040. The details were outlined by the groups founder and chairman, Sean Mulryan, who shared his vision for a sustainable planned 15-minute city with a wide range of stakeholders including Government ministers and opposition spokespeople, and with senior figures across the Irish education sector, industry, state agencies and local authorities. The plan, which Mr Mulryan spoke about it detail in the Business Post today, was later confirmed by his company. The plan proposes the expansion of the TUS university campus in Athlone to facilitate 25,000 students. The plan also proposes the construction of a 5,000 bed eco-friendly student village. Mr Mulryan's plan includes 20,000 zero-carbon homes as well as new health, educational, arts and sporting facilities to facilitate the population growth it estimates will reach 100,000 people. The plan also proposes that 5,000 hectares of surrounding land is allocated for rewilded wetlands, callows and rewetting of bogs. Mr Mulryan said the plan, which is seven years in the making, has been discussed with government ministers, opposition spokespeople and senior stakeholders in the education and industry sectors, as well as state agencies and local authorities. In a statement today, the company said that the plan for Athlone is "one that could be replicated to provide regionally balanced growth while enabling Ireland's green transition". he company said: "Athlone was identified as the ideal pilot as it has all the fundamental building blocks in place including the university, a town centre with room to expand and enable green transport and the natural resources to allow 90% of its energy to be generated from renewal sources and to support the national energy transition. "It's central location in the heart of Ireland and bridging the North-West and Midlands regions also ensure a wide economic benefit." Mr Mulryan said his company will do all it can to make the plan become a reality however "it needs to be driven from the top by government, by this administration and by the successor governments that take office in the years ahead, if it is to come to pass." Mr Mulryan has assembled a steering group to bring this new green city to life. The company wants to see the adoption of the National Planning Framework to allow for the delivery of educational, residential, commercial and biodiverse infrastructure. Athlone and the surrounding areas must also be declared as nationally important strategic, enterprise and biodiversity zones, it said. Ballymore hopes to secure private and public investment for the plan which it said is "a credible blueprint for addressing Ireland's demographic and environmental challenges, decarbonising and stimulating the economy, restoring natural habitats and rebalancing development away from the east coast"


Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht taken to Sicilian town for full probe
Irish tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter were among those killed when the superyacht sank off Sicily on August 19 Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht has been taken to the town where British and Italian investigators will carry out a full probe into the sinking. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off Sicily on August 19 including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The vessel was held above the water by one of Europe's most powerful floating sea cranes, which set off from the fishing village Porticello at around 1.10pm local time. It was held in front of the crane as it moved. People navigate on a boat past the wreckage of "Bayesian" yacht. Photo: REUTERS/Igor Petyx The vessel arrived in Termini Imerese, a town around 12 milies away at just after 3pm on Sunday. It will then be moved into a specially manufactured steel cradle, which has a tarpaulin underneath for pollution prevention. Salvage workers on site, not accompanying the vessel to port, are conducting a 'full sweep' of the seabed near Porticello for any potential debris, a project insider said. Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Italian prosecutors previously said raising and examining the yacht for evidence would provide key information for its investigation into the sinking. It will also aid the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on what happened. Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire News in 90 Seconds - June 22nd Simon Graves, an MAIB investigator, previously told the PA news agency: 'When the wreck is brought ashore, we'll be completing a full examination of the wreck and we'll be finding out all of the elements that might have contributed to the safety of the vessel.' Further details such as 'escape routes' will be included in its final report on the sinking, according to Mr Graves, who added: 'Once we get access to the vessel we'll be able to tell a fuller picture of activities on board and the sequence of events.' The wreckage of "Bayesian" yacht. Photo: REUTERS/Igor Petyx The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is moved after being lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Peter Byrne/PA Wire Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks, Kent.