Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I am aware of the impact that insurance costs have on SMEs throughout the country. It is an issue which is raised with me regularly. For that reason, this Government is committed to making sure that we continue to proceed with measures that will reduce insurance costs for businesses. In my Department, legislation was enacted in April to ensure greater compliance with the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, process in personal injury cases. We have strengthened its powers so that more people will have to comply with its process. I thank Deputies on all sides of the House for their support for that legislation. The PIAB process delivers compensation more quickly and with lower costs than litigation, encouraging more claimants to finalise their cases through the PIAB process, which will lead to cost savings in the claims environment.

Two other Bills were enacted in the last year, the Insurance (Amendment) Act 2018 and the Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Act 2018. These are further important steps in insurance reform. The fourth Bill is the Judicial Council Bill. Last week, the Government approved the Minister, Deputy Flanagan's, proposal to amend the Judicial Council Bill to establish a new personal injuries guidelines committee within the framework of the judicial council. This gives effect to a key recommendation of the Personal Injuries Commission. The personal injuries guidelines committee will comprise judges, replicating the models in place in neighbouring jurisdictions. This new committee will draw up guidelines on the level of damages which should be awarded in personal injuries actions. This will help to promote consistency in the level of personal injuries damages awarded by the courts. With the co-operation of both Houses of the Oireachtas, we want to see that Bill passed as soon as possible.

We have published guidelines for reporting fraudulent insurance claims to An Garda Síochána. These guidelines make it clear what insurance companies should do in the event that they suspect fraud in a personal injuries claim. The guidelines were also circulated to the Chief Justice and the Judiciary. A new insurance claim fraud category on the Garda PULSE system went live last November. The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and Insurance Ireland's anti-fraud forum also meet regularly to discuss and act on current and ongoing issues which arise in the area of insurance fraud. There is no silver bullet here but when taken together, all these measures will make a difference in bringing insurance premiums down for businesses and consumers.

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