Vol. 516 No. 5
136 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress, if any, made in implementing the interim report of the special working group on a personal injuries tribunal; when the final report of the group will be received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8011/00]
The special working group on a personal injuries tribunal, chaired by Mr. Dan McAuley, published its first report in May 1997. In that report the group set out two alternative structures for a mediation board for occupational injury claims – the first to operate within the courts system and the second, an alternative mediation structure, to be established on a greenfield basis, outside the ambit of the courts system and operating initially on a two year pilot basis.
A majority of the working group had reservations about the cost effectiveness of a greenfield mediation board. It recommended a mediation system to be established within the courts system, having regard to assurances given to it about the rapid pace and scale of the ongoing reform of court procedures and elimination of delays.
The special working group recommenced its work in September 1998 investigating issues surrounding alternative or complementary systems for delivering personal injury compensation in Ireland. It has recently completed its research into personal injury compensation systems in operation in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand and the USA, in the areas of occupational injuries and motor accident injuries.
The group's consideration of the results of this research and its relevance to the possible improvement of the systems for delivering personal injury compensation in Ireland will, of necessity, involve a reappraisal of the recommendations in its first report on the establishment of a claims mediation system. The report, which will be submitted by the group shortly, will contain recommendations for our further consideration.
