Third Party Only

Table of Contents:

Third Party Insurance

Third-party car insurance is the simplest type of motor insurance in Ireland. It’s mainly meant to meet legal needs instead of covering your own vehicle.

Motorists can choose between two types of third-party insurance: third-party only (TPO) and third-party, fire and theft (TPFT).

What Is Third Party Only Insurance?

Third-party only insurance, commonly referred to as ‘TPO’, is the minimum level of motor insurance required by law in Ireland. TPO is an insurance policy that’s designed to protect everyone on Irish roads, except you and your car.

In practice, what this means is that if you’re responsible for an accident on the road, your insurer will pay for the damages caused to other cars, public and private property as well as any medical expenses incurred by individuals involved in the accident, other than yourself.

With TPO, you won’t be financially covered for damage to your own car, whether it’s written off, stolen, or damaged by fire.

What Is Third Party, Fire and Theft Insurance?

Third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) is the ‘middle-ground policy’ between TPO and fully comprehensive car insurance. TPFT includes everything that’s in a standard TPO insurance policy, but comes with the added benefit of offering financial protection for your vehicle in two specific scenarios:

Fire – damage caused to your car caused by fire, be it through 3rd party criminal activity, mechanical failure or otherwise.

Theft – loss of your car due to it being stolen or damage caused to your car during an attempted theft.

What Does Third Party Insurance Cover?

Third Party Only

If you are responsible for a crash on Irish roads, TPO will cover:

  • Injury to Others – unlimited cover for medical bills incurred and compensation owed to other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists as well as your own passengers involved in the accident.

  • Property Damage – cover for up to as much as €30 million worth of public or private property damage caused by the accident.

  • Legal Costs – cover for the cost of legal representation where you are charged or face a court summons following an accident.

Third Party, Fire and Theft

In addition to the coverage provided under TPO, a TPFT policy will also cover:

  • Vehicle Theft – if your car is stolen and not recovered, your insurer will pay you the market value of the vehicle.

  • Attempted Theft Damage – damage determined to have been caused to your vehicle during an attempted theft, including theft of a catalytic converter.

  • Fire Damage – damage caused to your car by fire.

  • Fire Brigade Charges – charges levied by the local authority for the fire brigade putting out a vehicle fire or removing passengers from the car with cutting equipment.

  • Radio & Navigation – factory-fitted radios or satellite navigation devices are typically covered up to a specified limit if stolen or damaged by fire.

What does TPO and TPFT not cover

TPO and TPFT does not cover the following key items, which require a fully comprehensive insurance policy and/or purchased add-ons:

If you’re responsible for the damage of your car, you’ll pay 100% of the repair costs.

If your windscreen is damaged and in need of repair, standard TPO and TPFT policies will not cover the cost.

A courtesy car usually won’t be provided under a TPO or TPFT policy where your car is being repaired, even after an accident that wasn’t your fault.

If your car is damaged due to anti-social behaviour, not theft or fire, TPFT will not cover you.

The Cost of Third Party Car Insurance

Third-party insurance doesn’t get priced just because it offers less cover. In reality, insurers often see it as higher risk. That’s because third-party only (TPO) policies are frequently the last option for drivers who can’t get cover elsewhere, which changes how insurers look at the likelihood of a claim.

Understanding this risk logic upfront helps explain why third-party insurance behaves differently in the Irish market – and why comparing all policy types is often the smartest move.

Compare The Cost Of Third Party Insurance (TPO Vs. TPFT Vs. Fully Comprehensive)

Driver Profile TPO Quote (Estimate) TPFT Quote (Estimate) Fully Comprehensive Quote (Estimate)
John – Age 20, Learner Driver €1,400 €1,250 €1,600
Sarah – Age 45, Full Licence €450 €480 €550

Example premiums are illustrative only and do not represent actual quotes.

For a full comparison across all policy types and driver profiles, it would be best for you to compare quotes directly.

Benefits Of Third-Party Insurance

While offering a lower level of protection than fully comprehensive car insurance, third-party policies can still be suitable in certain situations.

A few key benefits of TPO and TPFT insurance include:

  • Legal Compliance – Third-party insurance allows you to remain compliant with your obligations as a motorist under Irish law without needing to pay for the ‘bells and whistles’ of a comprehensive policy.

  • Low Car Value – if your car is worth less than your policy excess, you’d receive little or no benefit from an expensive comprehensive policy, making third-party insurance a more practical option.

  • Building a No Claims Discount – a lower-cost third-party policy can help you build up a No Claims Discount (NCD), which, in turn, will make comprehensive cover cheaper in the future.

  • Theft Protection (TPFT) – TPFT policies allow you to insure against the risk of theft, especially in built-up areas like Dublin, without having to pay the higher premium of fully comprehensive insurance.

  • Second or Infrequently Used Cars – if your household has more than one vehicle, TPFT can provide suitable cover for a car that’s driven less often whilst avoiding potential overkill with fully comp.

Third Party Insurance Add-Ons

If you want to get TPFT cover with extra benefits, but they do not want to commit to the higher premium of a fully comprehensive policy, it’s possible to purchase optional add-ons to extend your cover without moving to a comprehensive policy.

Availability of add-ons on TPO and TPFT policies is more limited than on fully comp insurance, and not all insurers will offer every option.

Common third-party insurance add-ons include:

If you make a claim, your NCD will go down a bit, for example, from 5 years to 2 or 3 years. It won’t be lost completely.

Allows you to make a limited number of claims, typically one or two in a 3-year period, without any reduction in your NCD (i.e. you stay at, say, 5 years).

Roadside repair or towing to a garage if your car suffers a failure on the road.

Allows you to drive other people’s cars with the owner’s permission, subject to eligibility and policy conditions.

Allows other eligible drivers, typically aged 25-70 with a full licence, to drive your car without being named on the policy.

Increases the payout provided to you or your spouse in the event of serious injury or death resulting from an accident.

Covers the cost of replacing locks, keys, and electronic fobs if your keys are stolen.

Third Party Insurance For Young Drivers

For young Irish drivers aged 17-24, a third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) policy is a common choice. This is often because many younger drivers are driving lower-value cars, so the higher cost of fully comprehensive insurance may outweigh the benefit of protecting the vehicle itself.

However, it’s important to understand the trade-off. Young drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in single-vehicle accidents, and without a fully comprehensive policy, any damage made to their own car would not be covered. This means repair or replacement costs would need to be paid out of pocket.

Third Party Vehicle Insurance FAQ

No, not always. In some cases, a fully comprehensive or third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) policy may be cheaper, as lower-risk drivers often qualify for these options. High-risk drivers are typically limited to third-party only (TPO) policies, making them more expensive. For this reason, it’s usually best to compare quotes across all policy types.

If you have a third-party only (TPO) or third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) policy and someone hits you, your insurance company will not help you via claims handling. You must make a claim directly against the other driver’s insurance and potentially the Injuries Resolution Board. This is a major downside of TPO and TPFT policies versus fully comprehensive (‘fully comp’) policies, as you have to do all of the phone calls and paperwork yourself.

The Clancy Amendment allows Gardaí to penalise both learner drivers and vehicle owners where a learner driver is caught driving unaccompanied. A combination of penalty points, fines and vehicle seizure can be enforced. While an insurer is legally required to meet third-party claims in these circumstances, they may then sue to recover the money from the driver and/or the vehicle owner (i.e. ‘right of recovery’).

No, standard TPO policies do not typically cover you to drive other cars. A “Driving Other Cars”  add-on may be available on some TPFT or fully comprehensive policies, usually for the policyholder only and only where they’re aged 25 or over.

In most cases, no. Vehicles financed under HP or PCP agreements usually require fully comprehensive insurance, as the lender or dealer needs the vehicle to be fully protected.

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