Mr. Ciarán Breen:

The effect of the protocols has been to reduce costs very significantly. There is no doubt that the longer the life cycle of a claim the greater the cost element is. By reducing that very significantly back and by not allowing one to issue proceedings in court until one has been through the protocols and resolving it at the time of the protocols, one can imagine that has a very significant effect on costs. It has no effect on compensation for the victims. In other words, one is delivering the same level of compensation much more expeditiously and at less attendant cost value in terms of legal costs. That is the whole purpose of them.