IRELAND
One in Four
Liam Reid - Irish Times
The Dáil Public Accounts Committee (Pac) has delayed publication of a detailed report on the State's redress scheme, to obtain legal advice on the significance of Tuesday's High Court case in which a victim of sexual abuse was awarded €370,000 compensation. The report was due to have been published today.
A draft of the report, seen by The Irish Times, is highly critical of the way the indemnity and redress deal between the State and religious orders was negotiated.
According to the draft, the committee believes the Department of Education failed to use the data it had in estimating the potential liability of the State for potential compensation claims, and that an "underestimation of the final liability had implications for the negotiating mandate adopted by the State".
But the committee may decide to amend some findings and recommendations if it is advised that Tuesday's case will lead to a significant number of compensation claimants abandoning the redress board to seek potentially higher awards in court.
Posted by kshaw at March 4, 2005 08:53 AM