€7.7m paid to public in garda injury cases

Compensation payouts to members of the public in injury cases taken against the gardaí and the Prison Service jumped in 2013.

There has also been a massive increase in monies given to prisoners injured by other inmates while in custody.

Figures for the Garda Síochána show that payouts to members of the public increased by 24% in 2013, from €6.2m to €7.7m.

The legal cases were taken on the basis of injuries suffered by people due to actions of gardaí or as a result of accidents involving Garda vehicles.

According to the report of the Comptroller & Auditor General 2013:

-€4.2m was paid out in claims arising from actions of gardaí in the performance of their duties (€3.97m in 2012) in 190 cases;

-€3.29m was paid out to claimants — including garda members — resulting from accidents involving garda vehicles (€1.99m in 2012) in 239 cases;

-€9.7m was paid out in claims taken by gardaí (€10.2m in 2012) in relation to a total of 232 cases;

The C&AG report points out that 1,018 civil claims in relation to the actions of gardaí were outstanding at the end of December 2013 as well as 237 civil claims in relation to accidents involving garda vehicles. A further 1,119 claims taken by gardaí were also outstanding by the end of last year.

The report said that there were 598 accidents involving garda vehicles in 2013, compared to 639 in 2012. Damage and other costs to the vehicles amounted to €524,100, with €87,408 recovered in compensation.

The C&AG report on the Prison Service shows that €3.97m was paid out in compensation in 2013, compared to €3.27m in 2012. This was in 256 cases. Of these:

-€1.47m was paid to prisoners arising out of injuries and other actions involving other prisoners in 118 cases, double the amount in 2012 (€723,000);

-€783,000 was paid out to members of the public in 16 cases, compared to €81,000 in 2012.

Funds awaited

Long-awaited plans to refurbish poor and cramped conditions at Limerick Female Prison are awaiting the release of funds by Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald told independent socialist TD Clare Daly that a “business case for the modernisation” of prison facilities at Limerick Prison was being considered by the Department of Public Expenditure.

Plans were developed some time ago for a new women’s unit with around 40 individual cells (as opposed to the current doubled-up cells) and eight custodial apartments..

A Department of Justice expert group earlier this month said it was “particularly concerned” at the facilities and services at Limerick Female Prison and said the major refurbishment programme for it had made “little progress”.

The Comptroller & Auditor General 2013 report, published last Friday, said €9.6m of monies set aside for the construction of new prisons at Cork and Limerick had not been spent.

- Cormac O’Keeffe