James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the issue of commercial premises costs, the witness mentioned large urban areas and central locations. I ask him to explain why it is important to locate in large urban centres rather than on the periphery, given the IT nature of insurance nowadays and so forth.

The last issue I wish to raise is that of bench-marking awards. When one looks at the UK, for example, the average award for a simple whiplash injury with no complications is around £6,000 or £7,000 whereas in this country, it is around €20,000. That is a huge difference. On the matter of the book of quantum, it seems to be ever rising. The awards seem to be getting bigger, legal costs seem to be rising and other costs are also increasing. What is astonishing is that there was such an increase between 2013 and 2017 when everyone else was suffering a reduction. I would welcome the witnesses' comments.