Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If judges bring down the claims over time, the book of quantum averages will fall over time. Equally it will reflect if the Judiciary pays out more. It is not the book of quantum but the claims judges pay out. There seems to be a great difference between what one judge will pay and what another judge will pay. We certainly heard that in our earlier hearings with regard to motor insurance when the Minister of State was a member of the committee. A judge might be supposed to be hearing the case, but when a company discovers it is a different judge, it will suddenly settle for far more because that judge pays out twice as much as somebody else. I am not having a go at judges, but we are all paying higher premiums and we see the court reports in the newspapers every week. Again, we do not have visibility of 70% of the cases. That is where it is hoped the Minister of State's database will provide us with some clarity, whenever it gets going. We are all paying more, however, because judges seem to be able to pay out whatever they wish.

Is the Minister of State saying that the Legislature or the politicians within the four walls of Leinster House, are not in a position to do anything about the matter?