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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Insurance awards reform

Summary

Mattie McGrath raises the cost and availability of insurance for businesses, farmers, and community groups and presses for action on compensation awards. Minister D'Arcy says a judicial recalibration of the guidelines is under way and will reduce awards in line with other jurisdictions.

I want to raise an issue the Minister of State at the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy D'Arcy, will know all about in his portfolio, namely, the cost of and unavailability of insurance to businesses, farmers and community and voluntary organisations. It is having a massive impact on our society. There are social farms as Deputy Michael Healy-Rae spoke about, there are community activities and there are farm activities that people have gone into to augment their incomes, and these people have given vital information, entertainment and value to the public. A company in England was insuring all the bouncy castles and it has withdrawn from the market. Rip-off Ireland is alive and well here and the barristers and everyone else are creaming it off. Unfortunately, small employers, of which I am one, cannot afford the claims and costs of insurance. It is worse altogether being told one cannot even get a quote. People will not even be quoted in many areas across society. It permeates in every sector and it is crippling our economy, country and entrepreneurial people who want to provide jobs.

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Michael D'Arcy Minister of State at the Department of Finance Fine Gael

I am not sure if the Deputy heard yesterday that the Chief Justice-----

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-----announced the seven judges-designate who will take forward the recalibration of the guidelines. The biggest issue we have in Ireland is people have small damages and they look for massive awards. That era has to end and it is ending now.

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The Government has good advocates for that itself.

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If one lives in a glass house one should not throw stones.

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Does the Deputy want the answer or does he want-----

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I do. We are waiting for ten years for it.

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Just listen. The Deputy does not have to be so ignorant all of the time. The seven justices, two from the Circuit Court, two from the High Court, one from the Court of Appeal, one from the Supreme Court and one from the District Court, will recalibrate the guidelines for awards downwards in line with other jurisdictions and in line with Court of Appeal awards.

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When will that be?

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What will Deputy Farrell get under the new awards?

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When will the work be completed?

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