John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

For some reason, the insurance companies are reluctant to go down that route. One can forget regulation and everything else, it is simple, good business practice and a case of keeping one's customer onside, and informing the market. Many people who take out insurance policies of one kind or another are not fully aware of the fact that in the three cases Mr. McMahon gave us, the legal costs are so high. It might be a constructive way of exposing the costs to the market, and it would have a reasonable reflection on the insurance industry because it would be helping with the information.

I understand Ms Muldoon's point but why can the insurance companies not all jump together and provide the information? I am not asking the witnesses for a commitment today; I am just making the point on behalf of the people who come to me in the cases of claims having been made.

The second piece is that if an individual's premium doubled, which I have seen in various sectors, would the company not write and explain the reason it has doubled if there is no claim history? Taxi drivers come to me. I know that is a difficult market. Hauliers also come to me. Other individuals have told me their insurance premium has doubled or gone up by so many percentage points. They ask for an explanation but they do not get it. Is there a reason for that?