asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism the steps he proposes taking to implement the recommendations of the report of the inquiry into the cost and methods of providing motor insurance.

A number of the measures which the Government announced on foot of the Prices Advisory Committee Report on Motor Insurance are already in force. These include increased fines for uninsured driving, increased surveillance by the Garda authorities and the elimination of the double counting of certain social welfare benefits.

Various other measures are in hands in my own Department and in the other Departments concerned, and I am in communication with the Ministers concerned with a view to the earliest feasible implementation.

In regard to the measures which would come within my area of responsibility, the position is that an order will be made in the very near future establishing a representative board to advise on matters such as premium rates, loadings, and the availability of insurance cover. I will shortly lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a draft order requiring insurance brokers to identify separately, when billing clients, any service charges made.

A review of price control procedures has been completed by my Department.

Special discount insurance schemes cannot be subsidised from the pocket of the general motorist and, so far as is known, no new discount schemes have been established since the Government announcement.

Insurers have undertaken to keep statistics in relation to particular aspects of their operations and are aware that additional statistics are likely to be needed by the representative board to be set up shortly.

Would the Minister agree that although this important report was announced in February 1983 virtually nothing has been done to deal with the cost of motor insurance? Much has been promised. His predecessor undertook to introduce a windscreen disc to enable people to determine whether drivers were insured or not. That was to have been done six months ago but the Minister makes no reference to it in his reply. Would the Minister agree that the need for a quicker response is indicated by the fact that one in five cars is uninsured? Will he take the measures outlined in the 1983 report to deal with uninsured motorists?

The Deputy can be assured that the action required by my Department will very shortly be completed, especially the setting up of the representative board. The windscreen disc is a matter for the Department of the Environment and there are other issues of concern to other Departments — particularly the Department of the Environment and the Department of Justice — for which I cannot answer. If the Deputy has questions pertinent to those Departments, I suggest that he asks the Ministers involved.

Has the Minister made representations to the Minister for the Environment on the matters which more properly refer to him and which were outlined in the 1983 report? Is the Minister aware that the outstanding claims before the Motor Insurance Bureau at the end of 1983 for liability arising from uninsured motorists stood at £28 million? Does he understand that that money has to be borne by the other four out of five motorists who go to the trouble of properly insuring their cars? Is it not time some relief was given to those hard pressed people.

In answer to the first part of the Deputy's question, I have been in close contact with the Departments concerned.

And the windscreen disc?

I have been in touch with the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Justice about the areas in which they are required to take action. I am aware that there is a level of uninsured drivers but this requires action from other Departments, such as greater surveillance by the Garda, which has been put in train. I do not wish to go into the responsibilities of other Ministers, and I ask the Deputy to put down questions to the relevant Ministers.