Mr. Ciarán Breen:

There have been cases where we have made a direct payment, for example, where a lawyer comes on record for a plaintiff and says he or she does not want to go through the whole process of litigation. This relates more to employers and public liability. The plaintiff would have his or her medical records, the lawyer would say the agency has investigated the case, understands there is liability and asks if the agency is willing to enter into a settlement. It rarely arises. People will mostly go to piab.ie in the first instance, for non-clinical issues, and submit their claims. We are asked if we consent to the level of settlement which the Injuries Board has assessed.