Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 May 2017
91. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding recommendation 14 and action point 30 in the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance; if a personal injuries commission has been set up; the persons on that commission; if the commission has met; the details of those meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21372/17]
View answerThe recommendations in the Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance are being progressed in accordance with the Action Plan contained in the Report. The first quarterly progress update in respect of the implementation of the recommendations is now available on the Insurance Policy section of the Department of Finance’s website.
This update shows the progress to date on the overall implementation of the Report, with a particular focus on action points which were due for completion in the first quarter of 2017.
In relation to Recommendation 14, the Personal Injuries Commission (PIC) was established in January by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, with former President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns appointed as chair. The other members are representatives from stakeholders that include the medical, legal and insurance sectors as well as relevant Government Departments and Agencies. Some of its tasks involve analysing personal injury award levels and settlement systems in other jurisdictions and assessing whether objective medical diagnosis of soft tissue injuries in Ireland can be improved in personal injury cases. The first meeting of the Commission was held on February 10th, at which a Work Plan was agreed. Two further meetings have taken place and it is planned that the PIC will continue to meet on a monthly basis. The first PIC report is due to be submitted before the end of the year.
