State will no longer be a soft touch

IT is refreshing to praise a State agency. We refer to the claims unit that handles all compensation cases involving government departments.

Right now, this little-known outfit is handling some 1,850 personal injury claims against the State, ranging from asbestos-related cancer, to falling down steps or tripping over a tree trunk in a State-owned forest.

As the bill could reach €80 million, it makes much sense to centralise the handling of such cases under an a single agency.