The Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 was passed in November
2017. The act addresses issues raised by the Working Group on
Medical Negligence and Periodic Payments, particularly the
deficiencies underlined in the lump sum system. Importantly, and
after significant delays, the act provided for the Irish courts to
award periodic payment orders (PPOs) in cases where a plaintiff has
suffered catastrophic injuries. However, the relevant parts of the
act required commencement by ministerial order before this new
power could be invoked by the courts. After a further delay of
nearly a year, this order was ultimately signed by the minister for
justice and equality in October 2018, marking the formal
introduction of the long-awaited PPOs in Ireland.
