Anthony Lawlor (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with those comments. It is difficult when a person is taken away so early in life. All young people, no matter what age they are, have achieved something. I listened to Senator Humphreys, who has highlighted someone who had significant potential. It is sad to see a young life being taken so tragically.

Yesterday's report from the Central Bank highlighted the cost of insurance that we are all paying for through our premiums. The headline was the insurance companies' profits but it was stark to read into the report and see the legal costs associated with insurance claims. On average, a payout under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB, is €22,631 with a legal cost of €753. When a claim goes through litigation in the courts, the average payout is €45,390. The legal fees associated with that are €23,034 or 63% of the costs.Of those under €100,000, the average payout is €23,199 but the legal costs are €14,684, which is 63% of the overall number. During the summer, though we rushed through it, we passed the Judicial Council Act. Part of that was about the personal injuries guidelines committee. The Chief Justice announced its seven members. In fairness to Fianna Fáil in the Dáil, it implemented a timeframe of six months after the committee was established for a report to be produced. The problem is that the clock has not started ticking yet because the Chief Justice has not instigated the first proper meeting of the committee.