Independent retailers in the Irish Republic are "being crippled by the constantly escalating cost of insurance", according to RGDATA's director general, Ailish Forde. "In some case, premiums have gone up by as much as 100%, threatening jobs and even businesses," said Forde. Now, with campaigning in full swing for the May 17 Irish general election, RGDATA has joined a new and formidable lobby to press politicians for a commitment to tackle the problem. Business Insurance Alliance is made up of 17 different trade associations. The alliance wants the incoming government to establish a Personal Injuries Assessment Board that would cut the legal costs of processing claims and reduce the size of compensation awards. {{NEWS }}