VHI Healthcare, the State's largest health insurer, said payouts rose 18 per cent to more than €890 million in a year, with cancer replacing heart-related conditions as the most claimed for illness.

The company, which pays out 85 per cent of claims in the domestic health insurance market, processed 530,000 claims in the year through the end of February.

Over the 12-month period, the VHI paid out about €97 million on behalf of members aged under 30, €313 million for members aged 30-59, and €407 million for those over 60. No details on income were disclosed.

However, €139 million was spent on cancer treatment, compared to €116 million for heart disease, reflecting the "enormous" costs associated with the latest techniques and drugs used to treat cancer, according to the insurer.