Extent of confidential settlements revealed

The amount paid out by the Department of Health — under the terms of settlements that included confidentiality agreements or confidentiality clauses — has totalled €421,250.00 in settlements in the year to June and €282,778.69 in legal costs. This compares to €95,956.86 in settlements and €118,336.57 in legal costs for the whole of 2009. The State Claims Agency (SCA) manages personal injury, property damage and clinical negligence claims brought against certain State authorities, including Government ministers and health enterprises. The vast majority of claims (more than 11,000 received since 2009) under the remit of the SCA, which operates the Clinical…