Mr. Michael Lyons:

If running costs go up for one business, the increase will be passed on to somebody else and eventually the customer will ultimately pay. One of the mechanisms that a professional team can use if it no longer has PI cover for fire safety is to pass the responsibility on to the builder and require the builder to employ a specialist contractor or fire safety consultant engineer, or whatever, to carry out the role. The builder will, of course, pass the cost on to the client. One way or another, if additional expenses are introduced to the construction phase, they will be passed on to the ultimate payer, the customer.

We have done some basic research on the numbers of underwriters. Most of the information that is coming back to me is that the underwriters are based in the UK. I understand there are one or two in Dublin but the vast majority involved in fire safety appear to come from the UK.

In terms of employment, if firms find that the running costs are too expensive, they will fold and close. As I mentioned earlier, I am aware of one particular fire safety consultancy that has no offers for renewal of its PI insurance. It has a date looming in mid-June and if its insurance is not renewed, it will close. That will be a loss. It is also important to realise that the smaller professional companies and practices are far more at risk from this crisis. Smaller practices are dotted all over the country, in Wexford, Waterford, Galway, Louth and Donegal. It is affecting the whole of the country.

There is a registered scheme for concrete blocks, the mica registered scheme, but I have not had any interaction with it and would not feel confident to give any comment on it. It is a registered scheme that is operated through Engineers Ireland. As Mr. Power has said, there is great expertise in the country. There is no shortage of expertise and Engineers Ireland has a full register of professional engineers who can carry out that function.