Mr. Kevin Thompson:

The question was whether members followed the code of conduct and whether we policed it. The code is voluntary. It means that when our members meet, whether at board, council or working group level, they do not enter into conversations or practices which could be seen as anti-competitive. How we monitor it is through the minutes of meetings which are transparent and available for everyone to read. It is a transparent process.

On the work carried out in specific areas, again we are looking to the OPW to verify it. My colleague has highlighted the fact that it is not a question of receiving a letter from an engineer; we want to work through and fully understand the technicalities and make sure the defences are built to the required standard. If they are, we will look to our members to incorporate this as part of their underwriting criteria, but we admit it is early days in the process. We have momentum and are meeting the OPW once a month. As we evolve through this process, we may have to involve other agencies in the dialogue to ensure we adopt a holistic approach.

Insurance is only one element of the whole picture. I must again draw the committee's attention to the report produced in July 2010 in which numerous recommendations were made, including keeping drains clear, which is the local council's responsibility. This issue must be addressed as much as the work we are doing with the OPW. We will do our bit, but there are other pieces of the jigsaw which need to be addressed also.