Mr. Ciar?n Breen:

That is true. The Chairman might be interested in this example. In respect of the bills of costs our legal costs unit handled under the clinical indemnity scheme, when the total amount claimed was €58.18 million, the figures were adjusted downwards by 38.8% to €35.6 million. In respect of the general indemnity scheme, the figures went from €36 million to €22 million; a similar reduction.

When we look at tribunals of inquiry, it went from €19.67 million to €9.3 million. The overall cost save by that unit in one year was the total amount claimed of €166 million down to €98 million, which is a 41.2% reduction in the costs. That gives the Chairman an idea about the problem of legal costs.