Over 200 insurance professionals attended the firm’s annual insurance conference in Dublin, which heard from keynote speakers including Detective Sergeant Alan Govern of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau.

Addressing representatives from more than 30 different insurance companies, Det Sgt Govern outlined how they can better enable the gardaí in prosecutions arising out of exaggerated and fraudulent personal injury claims.

He said gardaí “are committed to continuing to work in collaboration with the Insurance industry and other stakeholders to detect patterns of insurance fraud and thoroughly investigating allegations of insurance fraud”.

Louise Smith, litigation partner at Ronan Daly Jermyn, said: “It is clear that more prosecutions are needed as a deterrent to anyone considering lodging a fraudulent claim. We welcome a collaborative approach between An Garda Síochána and the insurance industry and hope that this will result in an increased number of criminal prosecutions.

“We are seeing a significant increase in the number of insurers now instructing RDJ to actively pursue plaintiffs for costs by registering judgments against their homes and by issuing District Court proceedings to apply for an attachment of earnings so that the plaintiff is bound to pay from their earnings to the insurance company until their debt is discharged.”

Ms Smith added: “As we know, insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. False personal injury claims come at a significant cost to business and the general population via higher insurance premiums. There must be consequences for those who make false claims.”

The conference also heard from consultant psychiatrist Professor Jogin Thakore; David Boughton BL; Ronan Daly Jermyn partner Marianne Lonergan; and John Lucey SC.