I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 to 66, inclusive, together.
The Insurance Act, 2000, enacted by the Oireachtas and signed by the President in December of last year, provided, inter alia, that insurance intermediaries be supervised by the Central Bank on broadly the same basis as other financial intermediaries. The regime of self regulation that had applied previously was no longer deemed sufficient to protect the interests of consumers.
The details of the regime of supervision, including the regulatory handbooks, is a matter for the Central Bank. I understand that the employees of banks are now subject to rules about unsolicited calls, analogous to those applying to all intermediaries. Our Department has asked the insurance industry to observe similar rules. There is no reason that competent intermediaries should not prosper in the new regulatory regime. On the contrary, the regime should increase consumer confidence in dealing with insurance intermediaries.