Ms Verona Murphy:

To go back, before we lose the point, my colleague, Mr. Eoin Gavin, who is sitting beside me, has serious experience in respect of his own renewal. His claims history, which was being presented so that his risk could be assessed, involved, let us say, 11 incidents. The renewal involved an increase of almost 300%. When Mr. Gavin investigated, as many as five or six of the 11 claims had already been settled and should no longer have been on the claims history. There is exploitation by the insurers in the case of hauliers who are not adept at perusing a renewal, like the broker or the underwriter should be. If they do not know about these things, there is no transparency. It took Mr. Gavin to point out these claims, but we do not get enough information about claims either. I have had incidents where my own trucks have been cited in areas where they were not and claims have been paid. That is the opportunist, fraudulent behaviour that goes on in Ireland and across Europe. One is cited and one must defend oneself, but because it is so costly to defend and the nature of the claim is generally kept small, it is just paid.