Compensation claims - State agency should take the lead

THE compo culture plaguing Irish society results in hundreds of millions of euros being paid out

Given the sheer scale of the crisis, it defies credibility that a major Government department has failed to sign over responsibility to a new agency assigned with the task of dealing with claims and reducing the massive bill.

The question facing Minister Micheal Martin is whether Civil Service bungling is to blame for the undue delay by the Department of Health in passing the baton to the newly formed State Claims Agency.