Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 15 be taken before No. 1 today, to introduce and advance the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) Bill, which I am bringing before the Seanad for debate next Tuesday. It is a remarkable fact that whereas it is an offence knowingly to provide false information if, for example, someone is applying for nursing home support or dealing with the Revenue Commissioners or a social protection matter, it is not an offence to do so in the context of making an application to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, or knowingly to supply false information, whether one is acting as the respondent or otherwise, in one's dealing with PIAB. That is a real lacuna and one which ought to be addressed. My short Bill proposes to address that and I would be very grateful to colleagues if, between now and when the Bill is taken, they examine and consider supporting it. As we all know, it is difficult to quantify how much fraud actually takes place in the context of bringing personal injuries actions. When we consider that 70% of the work of PIAB has to do with motor insurance, it is obvious that anything we can do to combat fraud should be done, starting with deterring it by establishing that it is an offence knowingly to provide false information to PIAB. It is to be hoped that will eventually deter fraud and lead to lower insurance premiums, which is one of the key places we want to go. I am not interested in the punishment side of this; I am interested in the deterrence side. That is what the Bill is about and I would be grateful for the support of Senators.

I want to welcome what an Leas-Treoraí said about St. Brigid's Day. It is an important and special day. This was a real living, breathing woman of faith who has had a major influence on Irish life. Looking at the various St. Brigid's crosses here today, I am sorry when I was in Ballinasloe church over the weekend, where Ballinasloe social services was selling St. Brigid's crosses as a fundraiser, that I did not bring one for everybody in the Seanad. It was a lack of presence of mind on my part. It is an important day and one I hope many people will reflect on even more into the future.

I second and commend what Senator Malcolm Byrne said about the eventual and tardy release of Richard O'Halloran. It is a disgrace that any country in the modern day would hold a person hostage in this way, which is, in effect, what happened. We are now at the beginning of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. They should not be taking place in Beijing, any more that there should not have been an Olympic in Nazi Germany in 1936. The horrors of what the Chinese regime is perpetrating is something that must continue to attract our attention and censure.