asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that Mr. Cuffe, Tyrrellspass, Westmeath, made a claim for £450 in respect to the loss of a car which was commandeered by British forces; that the sum granted was only £50, and whether this case will be re-investigated with a view to increasing this amount.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - WESTMEATH COMPENSATION CLAIM.
SEAN O LAIDHIN
The claim referred to by the Deputy was considered by the Compensation (Ireland) Commission and found by them to be outside the scope of their terms of reference. In certain cases of hardship, however, the Commission were empowered to submit special recommendations for the payment of compensation, and in this instance they recommended an award of £50. Their recommendation was accepted and the award duly paid.
As the Commission has now ceased to function the matter cannot be reopened and the award must be accepted as final.
Could the Minister say if in such cases as this, where people have received inadequate compensation, there is any redress—have they any means of appealing, or is there any procedure under which they could take proceedings against the State to recover adequate compensation to repay them for the losses they sustained?
There is not any appeal. This case was even outside the terms of reference of the Commission, but they made a recommendation and that recommendation was accepted and the amount paid. There is no appeal from that.