Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I have just said it to the Deputy. It will be laid before the House but there will be no accompanying motion to the House to approve. However, this is something that the Oireachtas in its entirety has to reflect on. There will be implications in that decision for the Personal Injuries Assessment Board because essentially now we have a vacuum here in terms of personal injury awards. There is a legislative framework there which had to be amended because of a Supreme Court decision. This has led to a situation where the Dáil has to approve whatever the Judicial Council recommendations are if they are to take effect. If the Dáil does not do the approval, they do not take effect but that could lead to consequences within the courts and within cases. It could ultimately have the impact of undermining the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. We need to reflect on this.

I get the short-term politics. The Deputy would probably have loved it if we came in and had an approval motion. Then he would have, from the comfort of Opposition, attacked us day in, day out for, as he put it, jacking up insurance premiums.

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