Over €43 Million Paid Out In Insurance Claims On Behalf Of 28 Local Authorities

It's a big increase on 2018, when nearly 47 million euro was settled in the entire year.

Local authorities are insured by Irish Public Bodies, which deals with claims for issues such as slips and trips on footpaths and damage to cars caused by potholes.

According to details released under the Freedom of Information Act, 43.3-million-euro worth of claims were settled on behalf of 28 of the 31 local authorities in Ireland in the first nine months of this year.

3,315 claims were finalised, and the average pay-out was 13,061 euro.

The highest number relate to Dublin City Council, with 7.5-million-euro worth of settlements.

Wicklow County Council has paid out €2.178 million on 85 claims by September of this year, compared to €2.98 million on 100 claims for all of 2018.

Limerick City and County Council is next, at 3.6 million, followed by Cork City Council, at nearly 3.5 million, including legal fees.

12 councils settled more, money-wise, in the first three quarters of 2019 than in all last year.