Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the staff for their help and assistance throughout the year. I thank my colleagues for their help, assistance and, sometimes, criticism, which has been valid and helpful. I thank those colleagues who helped me in the by-election. As I told someone recently, the by-elections were only the league. The next outing is the championship. I am looking forward to that challenge as well.

A matter that we should put on the agenda for debate is the increase in the cost to the health service of medical negligence claims. I was looking at the figures. There was a good report in the Sunday Business Poston the matter. The level has gone from €62.1 million in 2013 to more than €245 million in 2018. That is a 300% increase in a very short time. My understanding is that, in 2019, the figure will be more than €300 million. Facing this enormous increase in litigation while also trying to provide healthcare is a major challenge for our health service. Early in the new year, we should debate what action needs to be taken to help reduce the figure and whether there is an alternative way of dealing with the litigation. We must be mindful that, if people have an adverse outcome where there is negligence, they are entitled to compensation. It is not about placing restrictions on that, but about how we will deal with it.

I wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous 2020.