EU to sue State over uninsured

The EU is taking Ireland to the highest court in Europe over its failure to recompense uninsured drivers involved in accidents.
Internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy is hoping to get backing from colleagues at the European Commission to start legal action at the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

At the moment if a driver of an uninsured vehicle has an accident with another uninsured car but is blameless, that driver will not receive cash. The commission says this contravenes EU law. EU law needs state compensation bodies to cover victims of accidents caused by unidentified, uninsured vehicles.
A Dundalk solicitor brought the case to the attention of the EU executive. He was representing a man left a paraplegic after a crash in which both drivers were uninsured. The solicitor argued that a motorcyclist who was severely injured in a crash should be compensated as he was blameless in the accident.
In Ireland, insured drivers who are involved in collisions with uninsured drivers can be compensated by the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). Uninsured drivers cannot.

John Casey, chief executive of MIBI, said he had tried to negotiate with the commission.
“Why should drivers who don’t pay a premium and break the law be able to access compensation? It makes no sense and sends out a very bad message to the 100,000 or so people that drive uninsured in Ireland,” he said.