The number of Army hearing claims had reduced since its peak in 1997 from more than 450 a month to 40 a month, the Dail Committee on Public Accounts was told yesterday.
The committee chairman, Mr Jim Mitchell, had asked the accounting officer at the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, Mr Michael Buckley, if there was any light at the end of the tunnel.
Mr Buckley said the number of cases had reduced somewhat. It had peaked in 1997 when there were 5,488 cases. There were fewer cases since, about 40 a month or so. To date, 13,205 proceedings had been served and 2,200 had been finished, either dismissed, an award made or withdrawn. Now, about 13 to 15 cases a day were coming on for trial.
Mr Buckley said that the Chief State Solicitor's Office had a separate unit for dealing with the Army deafness cases, with 40 staff. The Office had 215 altogether.