9 September 2002: The fastest way to deal with the problem of high motor insurance premiums in Ireland would be to get large numbers of people to refuse to pay them, the motor insurance justice action group (MIJAG) says.

But in a discussion document on where MIJAG should move from its present position, the organisation says it is ‘an open question’ as to how effectively it could organise a ‘boycott’ of motor insurance.

“Even if people would agree to participate in a boycott on a large scale, there would need to be local organisation in every part of the country to organise it and defend people who didn’t pay and end up in court,” MIJAG founder and spokesman Mick Murphy writes in the document.

“MIJAG has never reached the levels of organisation that the likes of the Campaign Against Water Charges achieved. MIJAG has over 4,500 subscribers through the internet with people in every county in Ireland. We could have active groups in every county and city if we had someone to organise them.”

The document notes that the campaign has had ‘some moderate success’ in elections, ‘but not enough to unduly worry the political establishment’.

But MIJAG retails as one of its successes the highlighting of the insurance premium situation that led to the publication of the MIAB report under the chair of Dorothea Dowling. Though it suggests that the established political parties may try and ‘hide behind’ the report.

“We should argue at every opportunity for the implementation of this report,” says Mick Murphy. “What affect it will have on premiums, particularly young drivers premiums, is anyone guess. It should help, but will be far from our demand of everyone who has an accident free record - including first time drivers paying less than E1,000. Politically the MIAB report has been a good cover for the main political parties and they might try to get through the next election hiding behind it again. We must ensure that this does not happen.”