Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much share the concern of Deputy Broughan and others on this issue. As Minister for Justice and Equality, there are perhaps two areas which fall directly under my responsibility. One is ensuring that every effort is being made to combat perceived fraud in the matter of claims, be they exaggerated or false. This is an issue on which I have had discussions with An Garda Síochána, and I am pleased to see specific initiatives in this regard.

Deputy Broughan mentioned the Judicial Council Bill, and what its current position is. I recall that when this Bill was first published in 2017, its primary purpose was to set up a judicial council, which would promote and maintain excellence and high standards of conduct by judges. This is a large piece of legislation and requires careful and due consideration. However, I am pleased that there has been progress in recent times, and the Bill passed Committee Stage in the Seanad in April of this year. My priority is to find agreement on a range of amendments which had already been developed and were the subject of ongoing consultation with the Judiciary in the preceding months. In this regard, I want to acknowledge the constructive engagement of Deputy Ó Laoghaire in particular on many of the amendments, none of which, however, is directly related to the issues raised by Deputy Broughan. This is a big Bill. However, I am very keen to ensure that if there are aspects of the legislation applicable to the insurance industry, I will frame an appropriate number of amendments to ensure this Bill can be the most appropriate vehicle for early enactment.

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