The Wexford/Wicklow Garda district has seen a dramatic 94.8% increase in the number of drivers caught without insurance between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024.
This surge in uninsured motorists is part of a broader national trend, with Garda figures showing significant rises across the country.
Other districts, including Galway, Dublin South Central, and Kerry, have also seen alarming increases, some of up to 199%.
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú is raising the issue in the European Parliament, citing the high cost of car insurance in Ireland as a possible cause for the spike.
She said that while the rise in uninsured drivers is concerning, it highlights the urgent need for reform. The MEP has called for the immediate implementation of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform, a key promise in the Programme for Government, to address the issue.
The rise in premiums has far outpaced inflation, with CSO figures showing an 11% increase in car insurance costs over the past year.
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has vowed to continue pressing for action both in the EU Transport Committee and within the Irish government to tackle the unsustainable cost of car insurance.
