Mr. Heiner Herz:

Let me outline how we highlighted this issue. When we saw these cases, we spoke to the Road Safety Authority. It stated we were the experts and the only ones who could do something about the problem but that it needed to be addressed by way of an independent study. We mandated work with TRL, a transport research laboratory and the biggest expert in transport research in Europe. It works with famous brands and also bodies such as the European Commission, the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom and even the International Automobile Federation.

Let me refer to our methodology. We carried out an audit of all the windscreens we had replaced. The study lasted 14 weeks and covered the entire Republic of Ireland. During the period over 5,000 windscreens were replaced. We found that 500 of them had been replaced previously. This constituted the base of the study. Shockingly, we found that over 35% exhibited some quality or safety issue. More worryingly, over 14% of these showed serious safety issues, meaning that if the driver had been in an accident, there could have been serious health implications or even a lethal outcome. We accumulated and extrapolated the figures for the past five years and concluded that between 60,000 and 90,000 vehicles on the road could have serious safety issues. This is a source of major concern for us.

We spoke to the major stakeholders and received some very positive feedback and support from the Irish Brokers Association, the Irish Road Haulage Association and the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors, which was very surprised by the issue. We were also in contact with the Road Safety Authority and the Institute of the Motor Industry, which also offered support. We all believe it is urgent that the problem be addressed. Windscreens are being replaced with others of poor quality. Windscreens are much more complex than they used to be and are integral to the strength of a car. Airbags are an essential part of the safety system. Cars are becoming older in Ireland, meaning the chances of having one's windscreen replaced are becoming greater. Furthermore, the recession might lead people to make the wrong choice and go to a cheap supplier who does not do quality work.

The first solution is the acknowledgement of the problem. I again thank the committee for affording us an opportunity to speak about it. As the police do not collect the relevant data, however, another solution is to record accident data. A minimum standard needs to be introduced. The National Standards Authority of Ireland has a role to play in validating the training of personnel, the use of quality products and the standardised processes. Our last recommendation is for a monitoring system to protect the consumer. The Irish Insurance Federation has a role to play in this regard. As over 70% of drivers are insured for windscreen damage, it is possible to have influence in this area. The NCT, at a later stage, also has a role to play.