Because of the crappy job done by the previous owner of my house, in order to fix a leak in one of my bathrooms, the plumber has to go in through the dining room wall. The wall has wood panelling on it, and the plumber will not touch it, as it is not covered by my HomeShield insurance. How do I remove the panelling so I can put it back "good as new"?

I want to put up paneling in my basement, where there are cement walls. Originally, we thought we'd put up drywall, then panel over it. I see in the forum though that panels can be applied to furring strips added to the wall. This would be a cheaper & perhaps time saving alternative. I am wondering though - if I have 2 energetic kids that may end up banging into the paneling, would using only the furring strips be riskier than putting on full drywall , in terms of being able to break or crack the paneling? It seems there would be a cavity behind the paneling between furring strips that might make it more likely for breaking or cracking if bumped into. Any thoughts or recommendations on whether to put the paneling over drywall vs. furring strips?