Mr. Brian Hanley:

I said this before the Senator arrived so I repeat that one of the most important things that can be done is the Oireachtas showing it is maintaining an interest in this issue. It is in the programme for Government, there is a second action plan for insurance reform and it is to make that clear to insurers because big institutions like that can wait it out. They will hope some other issues crop up and politicians' attention is drawn elsewhere, so they can carry on as they are doing and weather the storm. It is critically important that there is another action plan and a renewed focus, even as evidenced by our invitation today. Mr. Jennings also mentioned something about the attitude that needs to be taken by public representatives to the insurers. Public representatives have more power than they perhaps realise in making clear what our expectations are, the fairness and their role in civic society. Insurers have interests they are concerned about as well, as we all do. As Deputy Doherty said earlier, clear commitments and assurances were made in rooms like this that savings would be passed on. It is quite past time they honoured those commitments.