Vol. 468 No. 4
667 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice the amount of claims which have been settled by the State in respect of injuries sustained by persons arising from crimes committed by those on temporary release or those unlawfully at large; the amount of such claims which are pending; the estimated actual cost to the State in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15798/96]
My Department's records show that three claims have been settled in respect of personal injuries sustained by persons arising from assaults on them by offenders while on temporary release or unlawfully at large. Four similar claims are currently pending against the State. I am advised that it would be neither desirable nor appropriate to disclose the estimated costs of settling pending claims.
The total cost of actual settlement payments in the three cases where claims were settled by the State was £73,000. Plaintiffs' legal costs in all three cases, which were borne by the State, amounted to £30,000 approximately. Excluding the State's costs, the total sum expended in modern times on settling such cases was, therefore, £103,000.
