Quinn Dublin disadvantaged black communities

 

Saturday, Jun 20,2009, 9:27:15 AM   Click:

Ireland's second largest auto insurer has defended its decision to blacklist from Dublin because of the high number of applications received from these areas.

Quinn Direct started this month to refuse to issue new premiums for coverage in parts of Clondalkin and Tallaght, and disadvantaged urban areas, Cork, Waterford and Galway.

A spokesperson for the firm said the black list covers a very small number of places in Ireland, amounting to less than 1% of the total land area.

He added that Quinn Direct has decided to pull the cover from a number of urban areas because of their "extremely poor" claims.

The spokesman refused to reveal the areas where it refuses to cover, saying that it is "commercially sensitive information."

"Insurers do not quote special hazard if the claims experience is very low," he added.

Insurance companies in Ireland are not legally obliged to provide an estimate, and customers who can not find coverage with an insurer may contact the Irish Insurance Federation, for the Committee's case refused to give them a quote.

Irish consumer groups, however, have criticized the decision as Quinn Direct unfairly target innocent people. "

Dermott Jewell of the Consumer Association of Ireland called on the government to intervene with legislation.

"There must be some kind of settlement," said Jewell.

"Of course, to God, they can not say that just because I'm from Tallaght, I can not be insured?"