Govt to make first payments to customers of collapsed Setanta Insurance 'very shortly'

The first payments of claims to customers of the collapsed Setanta Insurance will be made shortly, according to Government.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that the taxpayer compensation fund, rather than the insurance industry itself, was liable for the bulk of the claims.

More than 1,600 people have been awaiting payments since the collapse of the company three years ago.

Junior Finance Minister, Eoghan Murphy, says the first payments will be made soon.

He said: "There are 1,639 outstanding third-party claims. The first tranche of payments that are going to be made, and these are rough figures at the moment because we are still working through this, is roughly 250 payments.

"They will be made up of Personal Injuries Assessment Board orders to pay roughly about 155, court orders roughly 61, other settled cases roughly 34.

"These will be verified by the State claims agency very shortly."