Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The courts are the privilege of the rich; they are not practical for the poor. If the owner of three cows contacts my office because the Minister has refused compensation, I will point out that taking a case to court is akin to placing a €30,000 bet on a horse at the Galway Races. One could win €60,000 or just as easily lose the €30,000. The same principle applies where a person takes a case to court to secure a small amount because the risk and costs of going to court far outweigh the benefit the person may obtain from compensation. Appeals mechanisms and access to the Ombudsman are important to the poor because they cannot afford to take cases to court.