Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for Finance is favourably disposed towards this amendment but it was the President of the High Court who asked Mr. Justice Quirke to draw up the terms of reference for a working group on such issues. That report is due by November at the latest. The Minister has indicated that he would prefer to wait for that report.

He is, however, favourably disposed towards the idea and the suggestion made by Deputy O'Donnell about periodic payments to meet a person's needs, because there could be an overpayment or an underpayment. I had not anticipated that a person who had suffered a catastrophic injury who got a major payment would be treated like a lottery winner by the sort of people mentioned by Deputy Morgan.

In looking at all of this there should be a guide to assist the court in deciding an appropriate award under the periodic payment order. For that reason, while we are favourably disposed towards the thinking in the amendment, we would prefer to wait for the outcome of the work of Mr. Justice Quirke.

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