Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Second, a further amount in legal costs, adding another 46% on top of the compensation itself, where the majority of the cases do not proceed into a court and no additional amount in compensation is achieved on behalf of the injured party. That is the net point here.

What is available to the citizen? In short, the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, as Senator O'Toole pointed out, is open six days a week to assist claimants in completing their application forms at a nominal cost of €50 per case. We simply cannot preside over a system where a charge of approximately €1,500 is being levied on the public by an intermediary for this same service. We cannot preside over that and this legislation is designed to close off that opportunity and close off the loophole.

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