Up to 380 drivers were refused motor insurance last year, according to the body charged with getting a quote for those turned down here.
Drivers refused quotes in writing from three insurance companies can go to the Declined Cases Committee of the Irish Insurance Federation to get cover for them.
Categorising or grouping applicants was very difficult according to a spokesperson for the committee, as refusals to quote were individual and generally always for a number of different reasons or contributing factors.
Taxi and hackney drivers were the main users of the Declined Cases Committee, reflecting the increased number of licences issued to drivers who were then changing their cover from personal to taxi/hackney use, said the spokesperson.
According to the committee, 88 applicants fell into the category of "inexperienced drivers, those of any age seeking their first insurance". Other applicants included 60 who had been refused a quote by insurance companies because of previous driving convictions, while some 30 applicants used the committee after being refused insurance because of a poor claims history.
The remaining applicants broadly included "ordinary" drivers changing their occupation and car cover from private to commercial use as they were spending much longer time on the road, and those refused insurance for health reasons and deemed to have an impaired ability to drive, among others.
Insurance companies are not obliged to provide a quote to everyone, but if asked must give a written reason for refusing to quote. The recent cost survey of the motor insurance market by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority shows motor insurance premiums varying by up to 58 per cent for the same applicant, probably indicative of the risks that appeal to the various insurers.
One of the case studies showed three insurers refusing to quote for a driver with six penalty points. As third-party insurance is the minimum for every licensed driver, the committee is a mechanism of last resort to ensure the minimum cover is available to those entitled to drive.
The first insurer of the three approached by the driver and refusing cover must provide the committee with a quote for that customer. If the driver can't remember the order, the committee uses a rota to select the insurer to provide the quote.
The committee also examines the amount quoted in case it could be deemed prohibitive and tantamount to a refusal.
The Declined Cases Committee is part of the Irish Insurance Federation and includes representatives from various insurance companies here. The current Declined Cases Agreement was drawn up in 1981. About two million drivers are insured here, so the cases referred to the Declined Cases committee represents just under 0.2 per cent of drivers.