Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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Yes. There are two other issues, the first of which we have pushed continuously into the future, namely, the fair deal scheme. We should try to find space to deal with this issue in light of the sizeable amount of money involved. The other issue, which we have discussed on several occasions, is the contingent liability in the HSE in relation to how claims are managed. I think this issue requires particular scrutiny. This, too, involves a sizeable amount. We previously discussed moving towards the open disclosure approach. The current system is incredibly slow such that cases can go on for years. If we do not change the model of how these accidents are managed, which is usually around the time children are born, we will continue to face this large legal expense. This money could be better spent on services. I would like the committee to dedicate a meeting to this issue.