€30m paid out in Defence Forces claims

More than €30 million in compensation has been paid out by the State in the past five years to Defence Forces personnel for injury and illness claims.

The settlements, totalling €30,428,699, are separate from the long-running Army deafness claims controversy, which is expected to cost about €300 million.

The latest payments were made between 2000 and 2004 for claims against the Minister for Defence for "personal injuries and material damage". The amounts included €22,862,276 in awards or settlements and €7,566,423 in legal fees.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said the payments were made to serving and non-serving members of the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces. He also told Tommy Broughan (Labour, Dublin North) in a written Dáil reply that the awards included payments to civilian employees and members of the public.

Mr O'Dea said he was concerned to ensure "that such claims are kept to a minimum and that when they do arise they are dealt with expeditiously and efficiently".

Mr O'Dea said he had referred 584 cases to the State Claims Agency which was set up in 2001 to dispose of claims against the Department of Defence as "cost-effectively as possible".

Of the 584 cases, 257 had been settled while a further 433 cases "remain to be disposed of by my department including claims predating the State Claims Agency".

Mr Broughan had asked what steps were being taken to reduce the level of such claims. The Minister said a working committee had been established to examine incidents which led to claims and to eliminate, if possible, the underlying causes of injury.

The committee comprises military personnel, department officials and representatives from the State Claims Agency.

He added that last year the Defence Forces had "established a risk-management steering group and a risk-management implementation group".

There had been legislative changes as well, he said, including the establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.