Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am afraid I do not have that particular legislation in front of me but I will examine it again during the week to see if we can work with the Deputy's party to progress it. However, in the past year alone we have passed three new laws that deal with the issue of insurance and another Bill is currently working its way through the Houses. We are certainly not new to the game when it comes to acting on this issue. As mentioned previously, motor insurance premiums are down approximately 20% from the peak and health insurance premiums are stabilising and falling because of legislative action that was taken by this Government, particularly when it comes to long-term community rating.

In the context of the investigation announced yesterday, I am advised this is a formal anti-trust investigation into Insurance Ireland. The opening of this investigation follows inspections carried out in July 2017. I understand that the purpose of Insurance Link is to facilitate the detection of potentially fraudulent behaviour by insurance claimants and to ensure the accuracy of information provided by potential customers to insurance companies or to their agents. The Commission does not question that data-pooling arrangements can contribute to effective competition. However, in the case of Insurance Ireland its investigation will assess, in particular, whether the conditions imposed on companies wishing to participate in and access the Insurance Link database may have had the effect of placing these companies at a competitive disadvantage in the motor insurance market in comparison to companies already having access to the database.

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