Mr. Vincent Jennings:

We will have to give consideration to that. Those of us in the business - we represent the voluntary community as well - believe in the model of competition. We consider that the first thing to look for would be competition. Should that competition be limited to companies that are registered and trading only in Ireland, or should it be further outside? What are the downsides to it? The last thing we want to do is to see a slew of money going outside of the country, bringing all kinds of difficulties when there are claims or otherwise. We believe that at all stages the primary matter should be held within Ireland. If the Government cannot get the insurance companies to play fair - again, they are not playing fair - certainly this committee needs to remind of the insurance industry of all the benefits it has been given. The committee can list them out. Members know them because they passed the legislation to allow for those benefits or administrative changes. In light of all of those benefits, why are the citizens and businesses of the State still experiencing these difficulties? Every week and every day of every week, a company is closing because it cannot afford cover or cannot get cover. Ultimately, the members of this committee are wrongly being blamed for that, so they have to fight back as well. We all have to fight back. The insurance companies hold us in contempt with the way that they have been behaving.