Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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643. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason his Department wants to increase the personal injury guidelines by 16.7%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37365/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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648. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has undertaken any assessment on how the proposed increase in personal injury awards may affect litigation volumes; if such a policy contradicts the intent of the 2021 Personal Injuries Guidelines and wider insurance reform programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37485/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 643 and 648 together.

I am currently considering the amendments to the Personal Injuries Guidelines proposed by the Judicial Council and consulting with colleagues in Government in this regard.

In the course of this, I have considered the latest reports from the Central Bank of Ireland’s National Claims Information Database and am aware of the concerns at the impact that amendments to the guidelines could have on insurance costs. Any amendments to the guidelines must provide for the effective operation of the Injuries Resolution Board and the personal injuries architecture contained within the Judicial Council Act 2019, which has resulted in significant reductions in damages for personal injuries in recent years.

As Minister I am obliged under section 7 of the Judicial Council Act 2019 to lay the draft amendments before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after their receipt. A decision will be taken by Government shortly on the proposals as put forward by the Judicial Council