Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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375. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to introduce periodic payment orders to deal with catastrophic personal injury cases; if the legislation to enable same to be introduced will be brought forward in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48162/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce legislation to facilitate courts making provision for structured settlements in circumstances where lump sums are currently awarded as a consequence of individuals suffering catastrophic injury because of the negligence of another.

My Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance, is currently finalising legislative proposals on periodic payment orders which takes account of the views of an inter-departmental working group convened to examine the technical aspects of this important legislation. These technical aspects include the financial security mechanisms that would be required if a periodic payment order scheme was introduced for private defendants and the matter of the indexation of periodic payment orders.

It is my intention to bring these legislative proposals to Government early in 2015.