Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Labour Party supports the Bill on which my colleague, Senator Bacik, has already spoken. I see no reason to rehearse her comments in welcoming the Bill. In the interests of brevity and to ensure we can pass the Bill in the short time available to us, I merely wish to seek further clarity on section 18(7)(b) which states that the personal injuries guidelines committee may "consult with such persons as the Committee considers appropriate, including the Personal Injuries Assessment Board". Is there scope to consult as wide a range of stakeholders as possible, including those advocating for insurance reform?

In a similar vein to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, I seek to interrogate further the relationship that exists between the insurance company and the person purchasing a product, such as car or house insurance. A thorough solution has not been provided regarding the increase in premiums. We have not had complete transparency on the profits derived by insurance companies on this island. Those companies justify increases in premiums by stating that there has been an increase in claims and the settlement of claims. That needs to be further interrogated as well because it has a knock-on effect on the damages awarded. I would be grateful if the Minister responded to that in broad terms. My party welcomes the Bill.

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