- Number of public bodies covered by State Claims Agency remit increases from 56 to 117
- Move will save State €4m upfront and €2m every year
- Bodies added include the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement
The Government has delegated responsibility for managing personal injury and third-party property damage claims to the State Claims Agency (SCA) for an additional 61 public bodies, bringing the total number from 56 to 117.
The move is in keeping with the Government’s policy of saving money for the Exchequer by self-funding personal injury and third party property damage liability exposures instead of purchasing commercial insurance from private sector insurers.
It is estimated that the Delegation Order, which takes effect this month, will provide an immediate saving of €4 million to the State with a rolling saving of €2 million per year thereafter.
Apart from the savings on insurance premiums, the 61 bodies who now come under the SCA’s remit will receive a specialised claims management service from the SCA, which has significant experience operating in the state sector and health care environment.
Ciaran Breen, Director of the State Claims Agency, said:
“This is a very significant extension of the State Claims Agency’s remit and represents a strong vote of confidence by the Government in the Agency’s ability to manage personal injury and property damage claims on behalf of public bodies.
We will manage these claims on behalf of these State authorities, agencies and health care enterprises in a professional, fair and effective manner. Everyone in the Agency would like to extend their warmest welcome to these bodies on joining the State indemnity scheme.”
The 56 bodies include the following:
- Criminal Assets Bureau
- Houses of the Oireachtas Commission
- Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement
- Insolvency Service of Ireland
- Labour Court
- Labour Relations Commission
- National Library of Ireland
- National Museum of Ireland
- National Asset Management Agency
- National Treasury Management Agency
A full list of the new bodies covered by the delegation order is available here.
In addition to the SCA’s claims management experience, these bodies will have access to the SCA’s risk management services, risk forums and other risk initiatives undertaken by the SCA which champion a consistent approach to risk management across the public sector.
This delegation order in addition to State agencies also includes most of the Voluntary Hospital Group.
The NTMA is a State body which operates with a commercial remit to provide asset and liability management services to Government and is designated as the State Claims Agency when performing the claims and risk management functions delegated to it under the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2000.
The SCA’s principal objectives are:
- To ensure that the State’s liabilities in relation to personal injury and property damage claims, and the expenses of the SCA in relation to their management, are contained at the lowest achievable level.
- To implement targeted personal injury and property damage risk work programmes to mitigate litigation risk, in State authorities and healthcare enterprises, in order to reduce the costs of future litigation against the State.
The NTMA reports directly to the Minister for Finance in the performance of its State Claims Agency functions.
