Vol. 458 No. 5
45 Mr. T. Kitt asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the plans, if any, he has to have discussions with Ministers in other EU member states concerning the single insurance market which may leave Irish policyholders unprotected if the foreign insurer has not joined the insurance ombudsman scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16175/95]
Procedures for the handling of insurance complaints within the single market have been under discussion since 1994 by the conference of EU insurance supervisory authorities at which all member states are represented. Recommendations have been agreed which would allow non-established insurance undertakings to participate in the complaints arrangements which apply in the policy-holder's member state, including the possibility of joining insurance ombudsman schemes and which would allow a high level of co-operation and bilateral contacts between insurance supervisory authorities in order to ensure that complaints are dealt with expeditiously in cases of difficulty.
Under policy-holder disclosure rules contained in the European Communities (non-life insurance) Framework Regulations, 1994 and the European Communities (life assurance) Framework Regulations, 1994, all insurance undertakings and intermediaries are bound to inform policy-holders of the arrangements for handling policy-holders' complaints including the existence of a complaints body, without prejudice to a person's right of recourse to legal proceedings.
