State agency to take over Garda compensation claims

There will be a “significant” saving on legal fees by transferring multimillion-euro compensation cases to the State Claims Agency, senior gardaí have said.

An Garda Siochána paid out almost €4m in legal costs last year, nearly twice that paid in 2010 in cases involving gardaí who claimed they were injured in the course of their duties.

The highest individual payment to legal counsel in 2011 was almost €280,000, compared to €120,000 in 2010.