Ms Moyagh Murdock:

Broadly, we support the changes proposed by the committee. I do not disagree with what my colleague, Mr. Boland, has put forward as additional changes but I will be frank and more pragmatic by saying half a loaf is better than no bread at all. Expediency is key to getting this Bill passed without too many further complications that may cause it take longer to get through the Oireachtas process. If the spirit of what Mr. Boland is proposing can be incorporated, we would not be adverse to them at all. We contributed to the consultation and very much got our inputs into it.

In terms of the difference between liability and motor, over the past three years and 12 months in particular, we have seen the economy roar ahead. The premiums paid by businesses are a factor of footfall, turnover, and the actual business they do. That has had an impact on the premiums consumers are paying, but on the rate itself, we are not seeing the increases that we have seen in some headlines. Certainly, there are a number of individual cases that have had some difficulties and we have read the news and individual hotels have complained about the change in their premium from year to year. That can often be down to the fact that there are pending claims and past claims. The Bill before us, the duty of care and the Occupiers' Liability Act are key to addressing the situations that have an adverse effect on the premiums that businesses pay. I will ask my colleague to comment on the differences. There are a couple of other factors that make a pronounced difference to the two experiences.