Joe O'Toole (Independent)

As well as the anniversary of the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman, it is worth noting a very important anniversary in Irish literature. Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Patrick Kavanagh, a man who was never really appreciated in his own lifetime. He was treated very badly when he arrived in this town. People witnessed the pathetic sight of him being dragged through the courts on the grounds of his autobiography by an arrogant bully who has thankfully almost been forgotten, while Kavanagh lives on in Irish literature. It is worthwhile expressing our appreciation of his contribution to Irish literature and marking his anniversary today.

I recently raised with the Leader the issue of public private partnerships. I also raised with the Minister for Finance the possibility of discussing the matter and he indicated that he would respond favourably to requests from the Leader to do so in a number of weeks, once he had read himself into the brief. Such a debate is crucially important given the current discussions about roads, schools and the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on public private partnerships, as well as the issues previously raised in the House by Senator Ulick Burke and me. We need the full story so we can make a political as well as an economic judgment, which has already been made by the Comptroller and Auditor General, about whether PPPs constitute good value or practice.

The Leader of the House referred yesterday to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board of which I am vice-chairman. By coincidence, yesterday morning, before the Order of Business, the PIAB had a board meeting at which the extraordinary profits made by insurance companies were discussed. The attempts by lawyers to undermine and emaciate the work of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board are continuing apace. I ask Members of the House to support and argue the case in favour of the operation of the board. I believe it will work. If it does not work we will all be losers and will still be talking about high insurance premia at some future point. This board can work but it needs support and people need to be reassured that it will help in every way possible. It offers a win-win scenario for everybody involved.