The period of the pilot project was to be six months, starting from June 2005.

From the garda point of view, the benefits accruing were to be primarily enhanced road safety through the early evacuation of disabled vehicles from the road following an accident.

The Understanding was described as a "public/private partnership initiative aimed at enhancing road safety and improving the quality of service offered to road users involved in road traffic collisions".

The deal was non-binding and signed on behalf of An Garda by commissioner Noel Conroy, and for Axa by chief executive John O'Neill.

The primary objective of the agreement was fast reaction to road traffic accidents, and the processing of any claims arising. The gardai agreed to contact an Axa freephone number within 45 minutes of the reporting of an accident, if an Axa insured vehicle was involved.

A form requiring the inclusion of the details of an accident and the vehicles involved was to be filled out by attending gardai. This facilitated fast, efficient reaction to the accident by Axa, an entirely laudable objective, but one which was not forwarded to any of Axa's competitors.

Then an Axa-approved towing agent would remove any vehicles, including non-Axa insured, to an Axa-approved storage facility.

This immediately gives Axa access to examine any vehicle without the express permission of the vehicle's owner.

Axa also committed to having vehicles removed to a garda station when this was required by the gardai.

The Understanding also gave Axa access to information that would ordinarily be exclusive only to the gardai.

The mutual commitments in the Understanding included: "Maintaining full professional confidentiality in relation to the identity of persons and the circumstances and details of occurances which come into the possession of the partners as a result of their involvement in this public/private partnership, save that which is required in accordance with law."

And: "Treat as confidential all negotiations and shared information and will not, other than for the purpose of discharging their obligations under the Memorandum, divulge or communicate to any person any confidential information."

There was also a commitment to publish details of the agreement.