Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 2 March 2023
Public Accounts Committee
2021 Financial Statements of the State Claims Agency: Discussion
Chapter 20: Management of the Clinical Indemnity Scheme of the Report on the Accounts of Public Services 2021
9:30 am
Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Legal costs make up 24% of the total cost of a claim, which is substantial. The briefing material indicates that the State Claims Agency has procurement. I found it surprising that such a substantial chunk of a claim relates solely to legal costs. If the outstanding liability is just shy of €5 billion, legal costs will be €1.25 billion, which is a huge figure. What can be done to reduce legal costs?