Feargal Quinn (Independent)

During the past few years, we have spent a great deal of time debating insurance issues, particularly those relating to car insurance. I ask the Leader to draw to the attention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment a directive issued by the European Commission last week on car insurance. It involves political correctness going mad. The Commission believes that, although women have fewer car accidents than men, it is politically unacceptable that they should pay lower insurance premia and insurance companies should not discriminate on the ground of gender. The directive will be transposed into Irish law unless we protect ourselves against it. A similar direction was given last year whereby, because women live longer than men, they should pay into their pensions at a different rate. This is political correctness going wrong. If women have fewer car accidents than men, they should pay lower insurance premia and we should not have a directive foisted on us by the European Commission that states otherwise.

Legislation is being introduced today in Britain to place controls on telephone lotteries. I received a telephone lottery letter yesterday. It provided a post office box number rather than an address as a contact. According to the letter, one makes a telephone call and is guaranteed to win one of many prizes. Such a call costs a considerable sum. Last year a similar scheme operated in Ireland and one individual made €1 million. The company was then wound up but this was fully legal. The law was not broken because the prizes were correct.

This is the second telephone lottery letter I have seen. It congratulates me and tells me it is my lucky day because I have won a prize. I must telephone a number and the call will not cost more than €10. Ireland has led the way in terms of protecting its citizens through legislation such as that which provided for the smoking ban and the introduction of the plastic bag levy. The British are leading the way on this issue and we should examine what they are doing. I do not want Ireland to become a nanny state and I do not want us to be protected from everything but it is likely, if we are not careful, that legislation will be introduced to protect us from eating chocolate because it is not good for us. However, something must be done about this and we should ensure that what is happening in Britain is examined.