Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

I thank the witnesses for being here. It has been a really informative discussion. They are dealing with complaints in the areas of insurance, tourism and the legal sector. They are busy and have a lot on. There an opinion piece in The Irish Times today by Lorcan Sirr entitled "Irish households are wealthier than ever". However, the next part of the headline is "You're not the only one who didn't notice". I am involved with SMEs and the homeless sector, so I know that people are feeling the pinch and are definitely feeling the cost-of-living crisis. That is every day.

The witnesses mentioned the insurance sector. At last week's meeting, I asked why insurance premiums are rising and why businesses that have not made any claims are still facing increases. I was told that there is a Cabinet subcommittee which deals with all that. However, it seems we do not have any teeth to allow us to deal with it.

The witnesses probably addressed this, but, from a competition perspective, we are meant to have a competitive insurance market. It seems there are very few players, however. They seem to drive the pricing, and it does not seem to decrease. What steps can be taken to address that given that we have a Cabinet subcommittee and that we have the CCPC? Are we too afraid to face it?