Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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28. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will be making changes to the operation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. [6811/22]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to enhance and reform the role of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB). This commitment is being given effect under Action 19 of the Government’s ‘Action Plan for Insurance Reform’.

In 2022, I intend to enhance and strengthen the PIAB to facilitate an increase in the number of personal injury claims PIAB resolves. It is clear that claims which are finalised through PIAB are less costly and faster compared to those that end up in litigation. Yesterday, I published the General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022. This is an important deliverable of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform, through which, Government is working to reduce the cost of personal injury claims and increase the affordability and availability of insurance for all.

The Scheme proposes to amend the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003-2019 in a number of ways including:

- PIAB will be given a new function – to offer mediation as a means of resolving a claim.

- PIAB will retain claims of a wholly psychological nature.

- PIAB will deepen its analysis and public information roles.

- PIAB will have additional time to assess claims where an injury is yet to settle rather than releasing to litigation.

- The Court’s discretion regarding costs in litigation will be more defined.

I am determined to progress this legislation to enactment in 2022 and am confident that these reforms will increase the number of personal injury claims resolved through the PIAB process.