John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In most cases, the person who is making the claim has a legitimate claim. If that person receives an award for the repair or his or her car and for a health issue or injury that might have arisen from the incident, that is what insurance is for. Insurance is not for what is happening now, which is the legal profession getting a massive amount of money. That is what seems to be happening in these settlements. There might have been a better opportunity to settle for smaller money, at far less cost, in the Injuries Board. I understand the Minister of State's strategy for dealing with this. I respect his wish to get everyone to buy into it. I would like to see the Government leading the way by saying it is going to do this by introducing legislation with regard to the Injuries Board or whatever it might be. That would really show the market that we are serious about this. I think the Opposition is serious about it. The Government needs to be serious about it. If the Minister of State acts in this manner, he will get buy-in and everything else will begin to fall into place.