£4M Paid Out In Road Claims Since 2009

An SDLP MLA has revealed that some £4 million has been paid out by the Department of Regional Development in compensation over the past two years.

SDLP Public Accounts Committee member John Dallat said on Monday he'd obtained the information through an Assembly Question to the Regional Development Minister.

Some £2.2m was claimed in 2010 up from £1.8m the year before. The majority of that was paid in personal injury compensation for those hurt on the road, while £892k was claimed for injuries from injuries on footpaths.

Vehicle damage compensation of around £200k on the roads and just over £22k on footpaths was also paid out.

The East Derry MLA described the level of compensation as "an unhealthy situation, must be revisited".

He added: “Clearly with over £4 million pounds paid out in the last two years there is an urgent need to review the notion that nothing can be improved. These figures suggest that there is much still to be done.

“The Department was also asked to address the issue of compensation claims here being considerably higher than those applying in England and Wales."

M Dallat claimed that the legal profession appeared to be setting rates of compensation and fees in isolation from the public and private sector bodies.

“In these times of austerity it is critical that there is an urgent review to establish if the seven recommendations made in the PAC report in 2010 are being complied with and the 'gravy train' has been halted or at least slowed down to the same speed as applies in England and Wales,” he added.

(DW/GK)