Medical negligence body has not met for 5 years

An expert group tasked by government with finding an alternative to multimillion-euro medical negligence cases has failed to meet for more than five years.

The “stuck in limbo” nature of the Department of Health’s advisory committee was highlighted by a leading member of the panel, who said the situation is costing the taxpayer millions of euro.

Denis Cusack, professor of forensic and legal medicine at University College Dublin, said the group was set up to examine the feasibility of a no-fault scheme for “birth hypoxia” incidents.