Motor insurance: It is compulsory to have at least third-party motor insurance, but individual insurance companies have the right to refuse people cover.

They must, however, provide people with a reason for the refusal if they ask for one.

Surveys of the motor-insurance market by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (IFSRA) have revealed that young provisional-licence holders and twentysomething drivers with a prior claim and penalty points are likely to be turned down by several insurance companies, especially if they are male.

Drivers who have sought and been refused quotations in writing from at least three insurers can take their case to the Irish Insurance Federation's Declined Cases Committee. In most cases, the committee will be able to obtain a motor-insurance quote on their behalf, usually by requiring the first company the person approached to quote, unless there are "good public policy reasons" why the person should be refused motor insurance.

Mortgage protection

Homeowners under the age of 50 are required by law to have a mortgage-protection policy in place. These insurance products are designed to pay the balance of the mortgage in the event the homeowner dies.

Mortgage protection can be combined with a serious illness insurance policy, so that the mortgage repayments are taken care of in the event the homeowner suffers a critical illness listed on the policy. But property buyers who have a history of serious illness will either be charged much higher premiums than their healthier counterparts or will be refused cover completely.

One in 20 people who apply for life assurance will either be refused cover or told they must pay a higher premium, according to industry estimates.

Loadings of up to 300 per cent are not unheard of - ie a €120 monthly premium for joint borrowers instead of €40. This can lead to a tricky situation, as the higher premiums may jeopardise their ability to repay the mortgage at the sum for which they had been approved.

Lenders may re-assess the mortgage application if someone turns out to be uninsurable, so in some cases, borrowers with a history of ill-health or a predisposition to certain illnesses will be forced to pay penal premiums.

Current accounts

Even the most basic type of financial product is refused to certain individuals, usually because they haven't got certain forms of identification.

Regulations designed to prevent money laundering require potential bank customers to prove that they are who they say they are. The standard accepted form of photo ID is either a valid passport or driving licence, while a recent utility bill is also required as proof of address.

Guidelines issued by the Department of Finance in 2001 allow banks to accept alternative identification documents, but according to a report published last year by the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), financial institutions are ignoring these guidelines.

Banks' overly strict approach has knock-on effects for people who don't have a utility bill with their name on it, such as travellers, people in the rental sector and recent arrivals in the country, who may all be denied access to daily banking services.

In a bid to improve access, IFSRA is proposing a common rule that says regulated financial firms should not be permitted to deny a person access to financial services solely on the grounds that they do not possess a particular type of specified ID.