Court asked to decide on house adaptation costs

The Supreme Court has been asked to decide how much the National Maternity Hospital must pay towards the €1.16m cost of a specially adapted new home in Sandymount, Dublin, for a girl who suffered catastrophic injuries due to admitted negligence during her birth at the hospital.

The hospital has asked the five judge court to devise a formula to assist the courts in calculating how much a defendant should contribute towards accommodation costs of the catastrophically injured over their lifetime.

The issue was raised in an appeal by the NMH against a High Court finding it should pay €735,000 towards the €1.16m cost of a new adapted house for Charlotte Barry, 11, who is severely disabled with cerebral palsy requiring life-long care.