Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 1

Written Answers. - Department of Defence Legal Expenses.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

367 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the sum of legal expenses paid in each of the years from 1994 to date in 1998 from Votes under his control; the main categories of this expenditure; if he will outline the nature of of the payments of £1.26 million in 1996 and approximately £1.3 million in 1997; and the amount in legal fees outstanding. [1320/98]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith):

The total amount paid by my Department in respect of legal fees from 1994 to date is as follows:

Main Categories of Expenditure

Year	Total	Loss of hearing claims	Other personal injury claims
	£'000	£'000	£'000
1994	1,050*	124	898
1995	1,413*	316	994
1996	2,007*	706	1,264
1997	5,362	3,964	1,328
1998 to date	201	153	48

*These figures are slightly at variance with the figures given in the reply to Question No. 130 on 17 December 1997, due to the inadvertent omission of amounts in respect of withholding tax in that reply.

The £1.26 million in 1996 and £1.3 million in 197 was paid in respect of plaintiffs' legal fees for various personal injury claims. Most of the claims were as a result of traffic and transport accidents; slips, trips and falls; manual handling and machinery accidents.

Legal fees are still outstanding in about 700 personal injury claims, mostly loss of hearing claims, where awards have been made or settlements reached. It is not possible to accurately quantify the amount involved but it is estimated to be in the region of £5 million.