Results 7,321-7,340 of 20,410 for speaker:Brian Stanley

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Mr. Breen accepts that it is over-generous.

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: There would be a fear in people dealing with the legal profession. There is the old saying about creating a big file. It does not matter how many letters go back and forward - it might only be one sentence - but the wording is in the letter and there is a charge for each one. Obviously, that increases when it moves up. Mr. Breen is dealing with substantial claims, but the length of time...

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Has Mr. Breen carried out analysis of where cases drag out over a longer period and made a comparison? I am sure the State Claims Agency has claims that are settled relatively quickly. Has Mr. Breen done a comparison on them to see what the difference is?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Okay. With regard to mediation, what kind of cost comparison is there in the overall costs - legal and everything else all in at the end - in terms of the size of that cost for the State Claims Agency? What is the percentage of difference?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: What is it in the order of, though? Is it 10% or 20%?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: And a large reduction in legal costs is part of that.

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: I thank Mr. Breen. I will go back to the questions for a second. Members might bear with me. Some Deputies who are tied up with other duties may come in later. I will go back to Deputy Hourigan.

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: I am sorry; Deputy Murphy can take six minutes and we will see how we go.

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: I will go back to legal costs and appointing barristers and solicitors. Will the witnesses explain how that happens?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Has Mr. Breen come across situations where the legal costs were higher than the amount awarded to the individual? Have there been such instances?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Have there been cases that came close?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: The agency has to go through procurement for the injured party. It cannot provide its own barrister or legal team. In obtaining legal representation for the State Claims Agency, has the option of having an in-house legal team to represent it and the State been examined?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: What percentage of cases do they deal with?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Hospitals have different disciplines, deal with populations of various sizes and have different bed capacities. The State Claims Agency does not publish data on the level of claims of individual hospitals. I imagine the agency will state that it does not keep a league table.

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Why not?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Of the 19 maternity hospitals, five are responsible for 56%-----

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Are they responsible for 56% of the cases or of the money awarded?

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: That may be explained by the fact that they perhaps deal with a higher number of births per year. However, surely there would be a correlation in the context of maternity hospitals. They deal with maternity cases. That is easy to explain. There would be some comparison when it comes to the size of awards. It seems to that five hospitals out of a total 19 are responsible for the bulk of...

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: Would it not have the positive effect of acting as a deterrent in the context of poor oversight or governance? Things sometimes have positive and negative effects, and a call must be made. Would a league table relating to maternity hospitals, where many of the claims originate, not have the potential to have a positive effect? I am not a medical person, but I understand that cerebral palsy...

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 (2 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: It is actually 59%, almost 60%, that the six hospitals are responsible for. Does the State Claims Agency have a league table? It has data on this. I welcome that Mr. Breen clarified that the agency goes back to the hospitals and goes through a process. It depends how extensive that is. Mr. Breen clarified that the agency has detailed data that shows the 59% and it has detailed data for...