Insurance claims totalling over €1.3 million were paid out on behalf of Kerry County Council in 2023 following a number of claims made by members of the public.
IPB Insurance paid out 117 public liability claims, totalling €985,925, and €289,137 in response to 12 property claims.
An additional €70,526 was paid to settle 16 motor-related claims with €42,553 for eight other claims, including housing and engineering issues.
The information was provided to Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Brendan Cronin, who had asked senior council officials how many individual insurance claims IPB had paid out on behalf of this council in the last 12 months and, specifically, the type of claims and the amounts paid out to claimants.
The council said it has 24 policies across a range of services, including employers’ liability, public liability, property, motor and cyber security insurance.
The overall cost provision for 2024 is €4.144 million which represents a decrease on the 2023 premium of five per cent and is less than one per cent of the overall capital and revenue expenditure for 2024.
“These insurance policies protect the council against potential claims and loss under a range of activities and service delivery,” a spokesperson said.
The claims are monitored and investigated proactively by the council’s own insurance unit and while some policies – such as motor insurance – have a statutory basis, others carry cover for more extreme and exceptional occurrences.
Mayor Cronin said GDPR regulations can sometimes hinder transparency and while the council is not in a position to identify those who have made claims, he asked for a breakdown for the number in each of the municipal districts so that councillors can get a clearer picture.
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