THE announcement last week by the British equivalent of the Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) - the Association of British Insurers (ABI) - that anyone who had ever taken genetic tests would be required to declare the results of those tests when applying for insurance policies, is irrelevent to the Irish market, at least for now, according to a spokesman for the IIF.

The spokesman said that the rarity of genetic testing in this country precludes any Irish insurance companies from seeking such information. But he added that a policy would need to be formulated by IIF members as a matter of some urgency, since such testing could very well become prevalent here.

The ABI policy was adopted because it believes that current screening processes, which usually amount to clients completing medical questionnaires and in some cases undergoing medical examination, are outdated and not in keeping with scientific advances.

Developments in genetic testing now mean that people predisposed to certain hereditary illnesses and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes can be identified through genetic testing.

Potential carriers of many conditions that require both parents' genes are now offered tests (in Britain and US) to determine if their offspring are likely carriers.

In the US, many insurance companies now request genetic testing of clients who admit that close relatives have suffered from certain medical conditions. The ABI was quick to point out that it will not adopt this policy despite the fact it will require disclosure of any tests already taken.

How many insurers who could cherry pick the healthier members of the community over ones predisposed to certain illnesses would pass by such an opportunity? Even if a new law or regulation was passed prohibiting the insurance industry from excluding such applicants, they would still profit by charging higher premiums on the grounds of higher risk.

Genetic testing may be in its infancy here, but it is probably only a matter of time before Irish companies follow suit and demand greater disclosure from their clients. The biggest danger of this policy - and one raised by Standard Life UK just a few years ago - is that people who might benefit most from genetic testing would decline to participate in studies because of the risk of not being able to secure affordable insurance.