97 Mr. Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will introduce the promised regulations to introduce greater transparency in the sale of insurance products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25023/99]

It is vitally important to establish a sound legal base for the proposed insurance disclosure regulations. The original intention was to make the regulations under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980. Legal advice suggested that a comprehensive disclosure regime, as proposed by my Department, could be vulnerable to constitutional challenge if introduced under the 1980 Act. I was therefore obliged to have recourse to enabling provisions in the Insurance Bill, 1999, setting out the principles and policies upon which the disclosure regulations would be based.