British insurer RSA is targeting a return to profit in its Irish operations this year, after reporting a 61.5% rise in operating losses for 2016.

Fifty-nine jobs are to go and 30 more are in jeopardy at troubled insurer RSA.

A profits warning put paid to Philip Smith’s tenure at the insurer RSA. He claims he had no alternative but to leave, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

Underwriting losses at insurance firm RSA Ireland came in at £107m (€146.9m) last year as the insurer experienced another difficult year in the Irish market.

RSA Insurance Group named Ken Norgrove has chief executive of its Irish unit as the company seeks to recover from a scandal in Ireland that led to a $1.3 billion (€937m) rights issue.