Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The former President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Nicholas Kearns, made some stinging remarks recently about insurance costs. He said that we have an immediate and urgent problem with a compensation culture, and he has called on politicians to step up and do something. Fianna Fáil, in particular through Deputy Michael McGrath, has for some time been offering many suggestions on what can be done, but the Government is not taking them on board.

On the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017, will Fine Gael finally stand up to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and allow that Bill to proceed? Why are we not proceeding with an insurance fraud unit that could start investigating false claims?

On the issue of insurance companies, three of them reported profits of €200 million in recent weeks while small businesses were closing. Is it not time, as Mr. Justice Kearns said, for the Government to step up?

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