Seanad debates
Thursday, 20 November 2003
Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Second Stage.
I do want to claim virtue because most of us as we get older realise more how lacking in virtue we are. Parents, who entrust their children to a school for seven hours of the day, get annoyed if they have to take responsibility. If a school closes for a day the telephone lines are hopping to various radio shows. An innocent accident occured, which could happen in the backyard, resulting in a visit to the GP for a tetanus shot and a fee of €30. However, somebody decided that because a child was traumatised to such a degree, £13,000 had to paid out. I am astonished that we have developed a culture where a service as community-focused as a primary school could be regarded in this way. There is a commentary in that story on parents, the insurance system and the courts. I do not have a magic wand to deal with this, but I hope the PIAB will be a tool in tackling it. There is an issue of morality here for society.
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