Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I thank members for their participation in this meeting. I remind members they are required to attend from either the committee room or remotely from within the Leinster House complex. Should a division occur, any member participating remotely will be required to make his or her way to the committee room within the normal division time to vote before returning to his or her original location. Members and all in attendance are asked to exercise personal responsibility in protecting themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19.

The meeting has been convened for the purpose of considering the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022, which was referred to the select committee by order of the Dáil on 11 October 2022. The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Acts 2003 to 2019, to facilitate an increase in the number of personal injuries claims that may be resolved through the board's process and without recourse to litigation. The Bill renames the board as the personal injuries resolution board. It also contains several amendments to the Act to enhance the role of the board in the promotion of its work; data; reporting; and measures to facilitate the prevention of fraud.

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Calleary, who is accompanied by his officials.

I propose that we try to complete consideration of Committee Stage of this Bill today. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the committee for its assistance in bringing the Bill to where we are today. I know the committee did a lot of work on this before I took over this brief with my predecessor, Deputy Troy.

As members know, the purpose of the Bill is to amend the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Acts 2003 to 2019 to increase the number of personal injury claims resolved by the board without recourse to litigation. It was clear during the Second Stage debate in the Dáil that in the main, the Bill was positively received by Deputies across all parties. The resounding message from that debate was the need for reform. The valuable work the board undertakes was mentioned by many Deputies during the Second Stage debate and I agree that this work should in no way be undermined. The changes proposed by this Bill have been carefully considered in consultation with the board and are aimed at strengthening the current model to resolve a greater number of personal injury claims. Deputies raised a number of questions during the debate and we engaged with a number of them afterwards. This includes Deputies O'Reilly, Shanahan and Flaherty, along with Senators Mullen, Crowe and Casey and I thank them for meeting me and engaging with me to tease out those issues further.

Arising from those discussions and based on input from the board, pending drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, I intend moving three amendments on Report Stage. The first amendment is a new section in the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022, to provide for an amendment to section 69 of the principal Act to ensure that mediators appointed from a panel are provided the same level of indemnity as mediators who are staff members. The second amendment will introduce another section to the Bill and provide for a review of the Bill. The third amendment is a technical amendment to section 23 of the Bill to enable the proper commencement of the Bill.

My intention is to move forward with this legislation swiftly. The committee has recommended the same. The sooner we can extend the remit of the board, the sooner more claims can be settled within a faster and more cost-efficient process.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I will be tabling an amendment on Report Stage relating to a review process. I am not quite sure to which section it relates.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State and his officials for attending and look forward to the Bill being enacted and implemented as soon as possible.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Dáil:

The Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment has completed its consideration of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022 and has made no amendments thereto.