Family’s €500k legal bill may cost State €2m

If the Duffy family are forced to sell their home to pay €500,000 in legal costs after losing a case against the National Maternity Hospital, it could cost the State €2m to care for their severely disabled son, Mark, for the rest of his life.

Anthony and Linda Duffy have already spent €150,000 adapting their home in Cabinteely, Dublin to make it easier to care for 10-year-old Mark. If they have to sell up it is inevitable that he will be put into permanent institutional care, paid for by the State.

“When we were looking at the case in the early stages, we got expert opinion on what it would cost to care for Mark on a full-time basis in institutional care,” said Linda yesterday.