European hopeful and former Donegal TD, Niall Blaney, has called on the government to ensure motor insurance companies issue all policy holders with green cards as proof of insurance cover in Northern Ireland and Britain, in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Mr. Blaney, who is seeking the Fianna Fáil nomination to contest the European election in the Midlands North West constituency, he said it’s important that no extra charge is put on drivers to travel across the border. He said he has been contacted by a number of constituents in the Midlands Northwest constituency who are concerned about the matter.
“For this to work the government needs to prepare and make sure insurance companies distribute green cards to all policyholders across the country. In so doing, they will ensure that from then on green cards are part of people’s insurance policy renewals,” Mr. Blaney commented.”
He added that the fear is with private companies, if they get the opportunity, is that they will start charging people for something that they need.
He added “Panic can then ensue, so I think the government need to act quickly on this matter. There has been little or no talk about it at political level. I think the government is duty-bound to make sure the insurance companies do their bit to smooth this over and give some peace of mind to policyholders,” he added.
“It has to be for everyone. From what I can gather, it’s something the government aren’t thinking too much about. The difficulty is the insurance companies could have a field day and you could have a variance in your premium based on the insurance company you are insured with. My fear is that insurance companies could turn this situation into a profit-making exercise,” he said.
“It’s an issue that is below the radar at the moment – not everyone is aware of it. I think it’s of paramount importance that the government puts contingency plans in place for the green cards to be issued.”
