For context, Government at its meeting on the 31st January 2023, approved the establishment of an Interdepartmental Working Group to examine the rising cost of health-related claims and consider mechanisms to reduce costs and approved the Terms of Reference and membership of the Group.
The Group is chaired independently by an expert healthcare professional, Dr Rhona Mahony and is comprised of membership from across key Government Departments and Agencies (Departments of Health, Justice, An Taoiseach, Finance, Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, Office of the Attorney General, the State Claims Agency and the Health Service Executive).
In fulfilling its terms of reference as approved by Government, the Group may consult with a range of relevant parties. It is considered that securing the views of patients, the legal profession and others will be of enormous value to the deliberations of the Group, and accordingly, the Group is engaged in a schedule of work and consultations with relevant parties.
As it would not be possible for the Group to consult with every individual or representative group who might have an interest in the matter, a notice was placed in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent on 6th June 2023, inviting submissions from interested parties. The invitation to make a submission was also published on the consultation section of the Government website.
