ICA says it is working with actuarial consultancy Finity to see whether insurance cover could be provided for future pandemics.

Mr Whelan says pandemics are "generally excluded" from insurance contracts due to "the sheer size of the exposure".

But he says ICA has engaged Finity to "start doing some work on a potential approach to provide some level of insurance cover".

That work will be completed within two months, ICA says.

Anne Aly had earlier tried to ask for ICA's views on TAL's COVID-19 coverage, before being told that ICA has no involvement in life insurance.

And that's it for ICA.