Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2025
548. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to bring forward the necessary statutory regulations or amending legislation to implement the recommendations of the 'Periodic Payment Orders Indexation Rate-Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group' accepted by him in July 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56524/25]
View answer549. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of the implementation process for the revised indexation mechanism for periodic payment orders under part IV of the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017; and to specify the expected commencement date for the new framework. [56525/25]
View answer550. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reasons for the delay in publishing the draft regulations or legislative amendments required to activate the revised PPO indexation rate as recommended in the 2024 Inter-Departmental Working Group Report; and if he will provide a timeline for publication. [56526/25]
View answer551. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has engaged with the Department of Finance, the Central Bank of Ireland, or the Courts Service in respect of operational readiness for the implementation of the new PPO indexation rate; and to provide details of those engagements. [56527/25]
View answer552. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has assessed the potential financial impact on plaintiffs with catastrophic injuries such as those arising in a case (details supplied) of the continued inability to elect for a properly indexed PPO under the current legislation; and if he will publish that assessment. [56528/25]
View answer553. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will ensure that the necessary legislative or regulatory amendments to make the PPO regime fully operational will be enacted before the end of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56529/25]
View answer554. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the legislative priority list for 2025 includes the introduction of amending measures to rectify the deficiencies in the current PPO legislation; and if not, if he will add it to the list as a matter of urgency. [56530/25]
View answer555. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the consultation undertaken to date with relevant stakeholders, including representatives of catastrophically injured plaintiffs, the Law Society, and the Bar Council, in relation to the implementation of a workable PPO indexation mechanism; and if further stakeholder engagement is planned. [56531/25]
View answer611. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the progress made since the publication of two reports (details supplied) toward the introduction of periodic payment orders for catastrophically injured people; the work he wishes to undertake in this area, as well as a timeline for their introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57253/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555 and 611 together.
Survivors of catastrophic injuries deserve compensation that is both fair and adequate to meet their treatment needs. Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs) are an alternative to lump sum awards as a method of paying such compensation to catastrophically injured people. Instead of receiving compensation in one tranche a payment is made annually on an agreed date. The annual payment amount is calculated to meet the cost of permanent and long-term care and treatment. An indexation rate is applied to the annual payment amount to ensure that the amount keeps pace with inflation.
As the Deputy will be aware, a Working Group on the Indexation rate for Periodic Payment Orders, to advise on an appropriate index, was established following a High Court determination that the index used in primary legislation was unworkable. As part of a two-stage process, the primary legislation governing PPOs has been amended to allow for the Minister for Justice to set the rate by way of secondary legislation.
The recommendations of the Working Group that the Periodic Payment Index should comprise a combination of harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) and Annual Rate of Change (ARC) in nominal hourly health earnings for the health sector were subsequently approved. Drafting of the necessary regulations is at an advanced stage and I hope to be able to bring the regulations into operation shortly.
