The vast majority of voters believe there is a compensation culture in Ireland which is driving up insurance costs, according to the latest Sunday Independent/Kantar opinion poll.

There is also a widespread belief among voters that people are being encouraged to make claims by those who stand to benefit, such as the legal profession.

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The opinion poll also shows there is massive public support for the introduction of caps on payments for certain insurance claims such as whiplash. The average payment for whiplash is 4.4 time higher in Ireland than it is for similar injuries in the UK.

Asked if they believe there is a compensation culture in Ireland, 44pc of respondents said they ‘strongly agree’ while 33pc said they ‘somewhat agree’.

In total, 77pc said they agreed there was a compensation culture in this country.

There was higher agreement among farmers (85pc), people aged 45 or older and those living in Munster (82pc).

Only 6pc of those polled said they disagreed with the statement.

Separately, voters were asked if they believe there should be a maximum amount that can be claimed for certain insurance claims – 45pc said they ‘strongly agree’ and 34pc said they ‘somewhat agree’. In total, 79pc of voters said there should be caps introduced for some insurance claims.

And 77pc of respondents believed people were sometimes encouraged to make claims by those who stand to benefit, such as the legal profession.

The opinion poll results follow months of controversy over the huge cost of public liability insurance which is forcing some businesses to close.

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