Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

I will have to accept what the Minister of State is saying but the judgment made should have been sought by or given to him in preparation for this reply. As he is well aware, this is a very serious issue and a huge financial burden is being placed on the individual involved. There is a sense of David and Goliath in that the individual does not have the financial resources of the State. If the Minister examined this case, he would understand there is merit in paying the compensation rather than trying to break the individual financially, perhaps in a Supreme Court appeal. Will the Minister of State make these views known to the Minister, who has ultimate responsibility? The taxpayer has certain protections and we cannot be wasting money on expensive court cases. More important is the individual right of the citizen, which the Minister should bear in mind.