Ms Linda Murray:

I am not very strong when it comes to the law and I ask that members forgive me if I make my points in basic English. I do not understand why we cannot shop in the European market or get an insurance company in. I also do not understand why an Irish insurer will not give us cover. Three or four big Irish insurers recently posted profits of €200 million. One can see the profit to be made on our business but we cannot get an insurer. We need an insurance company to be able to insure us.

We need something to be done about fraudulent or exaggerated claims. If I walk into a soft play centre with my child and he or she suffers an injury, I should not immediately think, "What could I get for that?" That is what some people are thinking. They think they might as well claim and see if they can get something because nothing will happen to them afterwards anyway - they will not be prosecuted if it is found that the claim is fraudulent or exaggerated. That mentality must be nipped in the bud. People should know that if it is discovered that the child did not suffer as serious an injury as was claimed for, the parent could face a fine or prosecution. It is very important to start getting that into people's minds. Persons who lodge fraudulent claims in the UK may face time in jail. That happens there but it does not happen here. I do not think anybody has been prosecuted here for anything to do with public liability. I do not know all the facts but, as far as I know, nobody has.