Mr. Aidan Connaughton:

It is a similar answer to Mr. O'Midheach. We are seeing a higher rejection rate. That means plaintiffs or claimants are refusing to accept the award. One can only assume they take the view the award is too low. There are five or six High Court challenges now. I read one in, I think, The Irish Times on Thursday or Friday where a lady received an award of €3,000 for an injury and felt that under the book of quantum the award would be between €8,000 and €16,000. If that level of uncertainty exists, we need to see those cases come through the High Court and be adjudicated on.

That is one area and the second is that throughout Covid-19 we have had lockdowns and courts are closed. We have backlogs now in the courts. Where a typical claim may be settled in PIAB with the acceptance of an award within a year, a litigated claim can go to four or five years. We are seeing a lengthening of the litigation process, I am afraid to report, rather than a shrinking of it.