Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:211 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Defence the number of meetings held in 1998 with the Law Society and individual firms of solicitors regarding fees charged in relation to deafness compensation cases. [5114/99]
Written Answers. - Hearing Impairment Claims.
The Department of Defence and the Chief State Solicitor's office had correspondence and a number of meetings last year with the Law Society and some of the individual solicitors concerned. The general purpose of our communications was to examine the level of legal fees and whether economies, particularly in the case of those firms of solicitors acting for a large number of plaintiffs in similar cases, could be achieved. On the question of fees, I was told that the solicitors concerned were already substantially discounting fees in these cases. I remain convinced, however, that there is further room for reduction. If and when a lower and more acceptable tariff in these cases is achieved, I will press for further discounts in the level of legal fees charged in these cases. In the meantime the State is in discussion with a number of solicitors to establish whether it is possible to achieve block settlements at reasonable rates. These discussions also include the issue of reduced legal fees. In any case where fees appear inordinate, the Chief State Solicitor applies to the Taxing Master of the High Court for an adjudication.