Mr. Michael Horan:

If people are encountering individual problems like that we have an information service that will deal with complaints and queries from members of the public. We are happy to look into individual cases of that kind. In regard to talk of cartels, etc., we would refute that allegation in the strongest possible terms because the Irish household insurance market is very competitive. As we noted in our presentation there are at least 12 insurance companies offering household insurance cover, with many others writing into Ireland under EU Single Market rules. The market is very competitive and there is a huge range in quotation prices for a person looking for same. People bandy around allegations about cartels but nothing could be further from the truth.