Ms Verona Murphy:

If that is what it is called; it is not competition anyway. If a haulier was operating below cost, as we are expected to believe was the case of the insurance sector, that they never charged enough, the operator would go out of business as a haulier. Such hauliers do not come back into the market and decide that they can charge what they like or they will not stay in business. They go out of business and that is it.

It is our belief that there is not competition in any sphere of the administration of claims. Claims are not being settled. A so-called "simple" whiplash claim, which, I accept, can be frustrated, should never enter the court. The book of quantum will only give a recommendation. If it is recommended to be €15,000 and it goes above 10% to 20%, it should not be in the courts. It should be settled. There is no aggressive management of claims as there was when we had other competitors in the market. We are suffering as consumers. As a commercial entity, if my insurance increases, I have no choice but to pass that back to the consumer. What one has here is motorists who are suffering an increase all of their own but my increase must be passed on to them as well, and the consumer loses here all the way. There is nothing competitive about the underwriters in this market and unless one brings in approximately another ten, that will not change.

I ask that, at the behest of this committee sooner rather than later, I am allowed to access my insurance in Europe. I have an EU haulage licence. It is granted by the EU. It is delivered to me by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I should not have to compete with an Irish haulier who is based in Bulgaria. We do not blame them for having to re-flag - they are left with no choice - but it will be detrimental.