Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I endorse Senator O'Toole's comments on the workings of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. Anyone who, like me, listened carefully to media reports at lunchtime yesterday will have concluded that the PIAB is in chaos and has a major backlog of work and that most of its claims will ultimately come before the courts. Given the negative media attention the PIAB is receiving, it is good to have Senator O'Toole in the House because he has inside knowledge and is able to provide Senators with correct information on the workings of the board. Coverage of the issue extended to three or four pages of a daily newspaper yesterday and reading it, one would be convinced that the PIAB has been a flop. Having drawn this conclusion, I am pleased to learn from Senator O'Toole that the PIAB is a success. It would be appropriate for the House to debate the issue.

The National Forum on Europe meets every week to discuss the future of Europe. With Romania and Bulgaria due to join the European Union in the new year, this is an appropriate time for the House to debate the future of Europe. We should invite some of our MEPs to the House to take part in a full discussion on how Europe is shaping up. There is no better forum than the Seanad to bring this information into the public arena.