Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)

I very much welcome our distinguished guests to the Gallery. They will enjoy sunshine at the weekend. The weather is looking good so they are very lucky.

I feel the need to speak today because the rejection yesterday of the personal injuries guidelines was momentous for every hard-working small business and for every community group, festival about to be organised, sports club, GAA club and motorist. It was the right decision. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for that decision. I thank the subcommittee on insurance, which met yesterday.I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues and Senators Byrne and Crowe who stood up on this issue. It took a team, including Sinn Féin colleagues and Independents. Everyone stood up and had a go at the personal injury guidelines because we could all see it was the right thing do. Yesterday would have been wrong time for this to happen, when businesses are under such immense pressure with the increased cost of doing business and everything they are faced with.

The proposed increase probably would have been rounded up to 20% by insurance companies. I had messages from people saying if their insurance were to go up any more, it would be detrimental to their business. That is not to take away from the fact there are many businesses, groups and festivals that still cannot get insurance. We still have a lot of work to do on insurance reform. For example, the play centre sector, which I am involved in, organised a group scheme about six years ago. If we did not have a group scheme, there would not be a play centre insured in Ireland. We all have to come together - there are more than 100 centres involved - and get insurance that way. It is still not sorted out and there is still a lot of work to do but I welcome what happened yesterday. We can see the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, did his due diligence and thought about what he was doing. He made the right call. I raised the issue about 11 times in the House - I was not counting, I swear. I really appreciate this decision, My Fine Gael colleagues and I brought a motion on this issue four weeks ago, which had the full support of the House. I thank Senators for that.

It would be remiss of me, in my last 20 seconds, not to wish the Meath GAA team the best of luck this weekend as we face Donegal in the men's senior semi-final and also the ladies who are playing the following week. I urge everyone in Meath to come out for both the men and women. They are both equally important. The best of luck to them.