Disputes over how best to pay compensation could have 'unwelcome consequences'

Ongoing disputes with the judiciary regarding how best to compensate plaintiffs is likely to “have unwelcome consequences”, according to the head of the State's Claims Agency.

Ciaran Breen, the director of the State Claims Agency, said it is strongly of the view that Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs) “represent the best system of compensating people who have suffered catastrophic injuries, because PPOs ensure that families will not have the worry that a lump-sum payment may run out during their loved ones’ lifetime”.