Personal injuries board hears 600 claims

Almost 600 people have applied to a new independent board seeking compensation for injuries sustained at work and in road accidents over the last three months, the Small Firms' Association (SFA) annual conference heard yesterday.

Ms Patricia Bryon, chief executive of the newly-established Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), said it began processing workplace accident cases in June, and all other personal injury claims in July.

"Since we have started we have received over 4,000 calls, logged 267,000 website hits and have almost 600 applications in the pipeline," she said.

She added that 55 per cent of current cases related to workplace accidents, with the balance equally divided between motor and public liability claims.

"Workplace claims are currently the highest as we had a headstart there," she explained. "But this balance will naturally change as time progresses with motor claims generating the highest volumes."

She told the conference that the board expected to begin making awards towards the end of the year. This would mean that PIAB would have dealt with some cases within six months. Ms Bryon pointed out this compared with three to four years for the litigation route.

Ms Bryon emphasised that the awards made would be in line with those given by the courts and agreed between parties as settlements.

The Government established PIAB as an alternative to court for personal injuries cases. The board will adjudicate on cases where liability is not disputed. If either party is not happy with the outcome, they can go to court.

It is one of a number of measures designed to cut the spiralling cost of insurance in the State. Ms Bryon said its effect would be to cut litigation costs from the overall personal injuries bill. She said these had been estimated at 40-50 per cent of the overall bill.

Ultimately, she said that the system would handle up to 90 per cent of all personal injury cases, excluding medical negligence actions, as the State Claims Agency handles them.

Revenue Commissioners' chairman, Mr Frank Daly, told the SFA conference, at Dublin Castle, that the amount collected from special investigations into various offshore schemes and unpaid DIRT had now reached €1.57 billion. "But much more importantly from a longer-term view, we have demonstrated that we mean business," he told the assembly.

Mr Daly outlined a number of changes that the commissioners had made to their investigation and detection systems. He said that along with improved powers, they had invested heavily in their ability to identify, investigate and prosecute tax evasion.

The commissioners have established a special prosecutions division with a mandate to increase the number of criminal trials. They have also set up special compliance units in their regions to target and monitor potential risk areas. "In addition through new tax treaties and improved tax information exchange agreements with other jurisdictions, we have greatly enhanced abilities to follow hot money wherever it goes," he said.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, warned that that the social partnership deal included a Government commitment to keep growth in spending in line with economic expansion.

She warned that the State would not get the best quality public services for taxpayers' money simply by adding to the existing €36 billion annual bill for services.

"New spending of taxpayers' money without reform will be wasted," she said. "We can and will certainly add new public services, but we must first know that the money will deliver quality results."