Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to regulate claims harvesting companies in the area of personal injuries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28148/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Allegations of companies engaging in “claims harvesting” practices were brought up during the consultation process for the Cost of Insurance Working Group’s Report on the Cost of Employer and Public Liability Insurance.  The Working Group in turn put some of the points raised to the Law Society of Ireland.  The Law Society stated that it actively enforces the relevant regulations in this area, such as the Solicitors (Advertising) Regulations 2002, which prohibit solicitors’ advertisements offering inducements to make personal injuries claims, and Section 62 of the Solicitors Act 1954, which prohibits solicitors from rewarding or agreeing to reward unqualified persons for the introduction of legal business.  For example, the Law Society informed the Working Group that between 2014 and 2017, 14 “claims harvesting” websites were taken down as a result of its investigations, and the Society has instituted High Court proceedings against non-solicitors relating to two of the leading “claims harvesting” websites.

However, I am conscious that, notwithstanding the Law Society’s work in this regard, there is still something of a “grey area” in relation to the regulation of “claims harvesting” companies.  As a result, through the Cost of Insurance Working Group, my officials are continuing to examine the matter and are in the process of seeking to arrange a meeting with representatives from the Department of Justice and Equality, the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and the Law Society of Ireland in order to learn more about the extent of the problem within an Irish context.