Results 5,761-5,780 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: That is unfortunate but I believe there is an obligation on purchasers to realise that there are other persons who can do it and who need to be given a chance. The profession is full of young, talented people who do not get an opportunity. I have trained barristers and opportunity is the biggest determinant in terms of whether their career takes off. Some of them get it; some of them do not.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: In England now, where they have chambers, it is very hard to get into chambers so we are excluding people at a very early stage, through the English process, by putting people into chambers. It is hard to get into them. If one does not get into a good chambers, one will not get anywhere. I have a couple of questions for the Insurance Ireland witnesses. My first is to Mr. Hassett. In...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that in recent times, certainly since 2015, personal injury awards are being reduced by the Court of Appeal?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: In the Court of Appeal, and I do not want to quote cases at Mr. Hassett, in cases such as Nolan v. Wirenski, Shannon v. O'Sullivan and Fogarty v. Cox, there has been a line of jurisprudence reducing awards by the Court of Appeal. Does Mr. Hassett accept that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: In his submission, Mr. Hassett stated that legal costs and processes must be seen in the context of the urgent need to reform our cost of claims. He is obviously aware from the Central Bank report that came out two days ago that the cost of motor claims came down 2.5% between 2009 and 2018, so is that statement correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett think the Central Bank report was helpful to this discussion about legal costs and awards?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept the finding of the Central Bank report that the cost of claims per policy has reduced by 2.5% in respect of motor claims between 2009 and 2018?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that figure?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that the premium per policy has increased by 42% between 2009 and 2018 on motor insurance?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that the claims frequency between 2009 and 2018 has reduced by 40%?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that profits in the industry are at 9%?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: The profits at present in the motor insurance industry are at 9%. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: It was stated in the submission from Insurance Ireland that, when it came to whiplash awards being much higher in Ireland than the UK, and I accept that, this was "a very stark fact and one which cannot continue to be ignored". Does Mr Hassett agree that the fact that the insurance industry is making profits of 9% on motor insurance is also a very stark fact that cannot continue to be ignored?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Mr. Hassett is perfectly entitled to make that claim. The assessment and explanation given by the insurance industry in Ireland is that the reason we have high premiums in motor insurance is because of high awards, fraudulent claims and legal costs. Would Mr. Hassett accept that another reason we have high premiums in Ireland is because the profits of the insurance industry are too high...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Do we know-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett think there is enough competition in the Irish insurance sector?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: I am sorry for going on and I will finish now. I agree with Mr. Hassett on the legal costs. Looking at the Central Bank report, we can see the legal costs are reasonable when cases are resolved at the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, or even before that stage. It is when cases are litigated that the legal costs become too large. They are too high a percentage of the award. Does...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: All the Central Bank report has looked at is the motor insurance business. Does Mr. Hassett know if there is going to be a similar report on public liability insurance, which is a major issue? Is the Central Bank undertaking such a report?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)
Jim O'Callaghan: Is it known what insurance companies' profits are for public liability claims?