State Claims Agency to be asked by the Public Accounts Committee about performance-related payments to staff involved in risk, health and safety-related audit work.

They have been summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to explain how the payments were justified.

According to the ​National Treasury Management Agency’s latest annual report for 2024 “discretionary performance-related payments reward exceptional performance”.

The NTMA​, ​which operates as the State Claims Agency​ in its management ​of personal​ injury and third-party property​ damage claims against the State​ and State authorities​, made performance-related payments to 271 employees in 2025 with respect to 2024.

These payments totalled €2,584,729, with the highest individual payment was €30,000 and the lowest individual payment was €1,000.

But millions in performance-related payments have been made to State Claims Agency (SCA) staff over the past two decades.

The Oireachtas committee hearing, which follows a request from Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh, is due to take place next month.

This is in light of allegations against the air corps over health and safety breaches since 2006.

This is when SCA auditors first carried out what was described at the time as “a comprehensive audit of the Defence Forces Health and Safety Management systems”.

This audit examined systems in each Defence Forces formation – including the Air Corps, which has around 30 outstanding damages claims against it from former personnel.

Read full article by Neil Michael below below.

https://reporterneilmichael.substack.com/p/state-claims-agency-to-be-asked-by