The Government has implemented just nine of the proposals made by the Motor Insurance Advisory Board to cut insurance costs 15 months ago, Fine Gael said yesterday.
"For all of its promises the Government has failed to act with any sense of urgency on the recommendations," said Fine Gael TD Mr Phil Hogan.
The Motor Insurance Advisory Board was established in September 1998, and it issued 67 recommendations when it produced its final report in April 2002.
The changes sought included higher fines for non-insured drivers; cuts in legal charges; and guarantees that defendants win their costs if an insurance claim is thrown out.
Some 53 of the recommendations fell to Government Departments and State agencies to implement, said Mr Hogan, Fine Gael's enterprise, trade and employment spokesman.
He said the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, headed by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, has made no progress with eight of the 12 changes. The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has only brought in one of the seven recommendations relating to his Department.
"The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, lags even further behind with a miserable two out of 15 recommendations implemented," said the Carlow/Kilkenny TD.
Mr McDowell has announced that legislation will emerge this year to ensure that exaggerated claims will be thrown out of court. The legislation will also require claimants to swear an affidavit which will leave them open to perjury charges if they are found to have lied.
Mr Hogan said: "We have seen it on Garda numbers. We've seen it on inflation. We've seen it on major infrastructural programmes. Now it is clear that insurance costs are to be added to the list of this Government's failed promises."
In the Programme for Government agreed last year the coalition partners agreed to make the changes "urgently".
A team of Government officials and outside figures was appointed after the publication of the MIAB report to implement the findings.
In July 2002 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the group was making "good progress on preparation of an action plan to give effect on the 67 recommendations".
