Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

The Tánaiste said she published her action plan for insurance industry reform in October 2002, a plan containing 67 measures. It is now 2004. How many of those measures are outstanding and what is the timeframe for the full implementation of all 67 measures? What is the inflation index on which she is working with her Department regarding insurance premia costs for 2004 for each of the various sectors, for example, motor insurance and the various types of business insurance? By how much would the Tánaiste expect insurance costs to rise this year?

Has the Tánaiste any comment regarding the December report of the IFSRA which found a 500% variation in motor insurance costs? When the same circumstances were presented to a variety of motor insurance companies, the difference between the cheapest and the dearest quote was 500%. Surely, the market is dysfunctional if that level of disparity is allowed to exist.

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