The chairman of the Oireachtas committee investigating high insurance costs last night questioned claims that motor premiums are falling and pledged to quiz the industry's representative body on why profits and savings are not passed on to consumers.

An Automobile Association/ Catalyst motor insurance survey published yesterday shows that the cost of motor insurance has fallen by between up to 32 per cent for some drivers between April and October this year.

However, Mr Donie Cassidy TD, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, said the evidence did not support that view.

"We are still receiving letters and calls from people with clean driving records who say their premiums are not falling," he said. "This issue must be investigated and dealt with."

Deputy Cassidy said that the industry as a whole had reported total profits of €183 million for the last year. He said he would be calling the Irish Insurance Federation before the committee in two weeks to discuss the market in light of the profits now being made.

The Automobile Association survey showed that female drivers aged 34 and 56 were the biggest beneficiaries, with quotes falling by as much as 32 per cent (from Quinn Direct in both cases). Males aged 56 saw their costs fall by 30 per cent with the same insurer.

Males aged 34 had the smallest drop, getting just 1 per cent off from Hibernian. That was all Axa was willing to take off for female drivers aged 56 during the same time period. Males and females aged 28 had increases of 1 per cent and 3 per cent respectively with One Direct.

The Automobile Association cut its premiums across the age groups surveyed, ranging from 7 per cent for males aged 28 to 22 per cent for females aged 45.