Mr. Jim Breslin:

I am about to get to the figures, which I have here. The total quantums in the settlement, which will be staggered now over 2019 and 2020, will be €73 million payable next year in retrospection. Then, on an ongoing basis, the cost will be €62 million per year. As we will implement the corrected salary with current effect, there will be a payment back to June of this year but we will not pay it until next year. That will cost €31 million. Next year, a combined total payment of about €160 million will be made. Consultants will also be due a further element of the retrospection in 2020, and that will comprise €109 million.

This was a multimillion claim, involving hundreds of millions of euro. The initial figures put forward by the HSE were a cost of €700 million. The clock was ticking on it, or better described, the taxi meter was running on it. It was continuing to escalate.