The State Claims Agency (SCA) director Ciaran Breen has backed the group investigating the feasibility of new legislation to allow for annual payments to victims of catastrophic injuries to replace the current system of large lump sum payments.
Speaking in an interview with Michael Brennan of The Irish Independent, Breen stated “We here in the SCA have been advocating that compensation in catastrophic injury cases should be paid by periodic payment order rather than the traditional lump sum because we feel that the transfer of the investment and mortality risk to the State is the proper thing to do.”
A working group chaired by Mr Justice Quirke has been set up to examine of compensation payments for catastrophic injuries can or should be awarded by way of periodical payment orders. The group includes High Court judges, solicitors, barristers, and representatives from various organizations such as the State Claims Agency, Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland, Department of Justice, Insurance Federation of Ireland, and the Courts Service.