Settling Army deafness compensation claims could cost the State £2 billion, the Minister for Defence revealed. A statement from Mr Smith, read to the House by the Minister of State to the Government, Mr Robert Molloy, was in response to Wednesday's High Court judgment in which an ex-soldier with between 0.9 per cent and 2.9 per cent hearing loss received £30,000 in damages.

The issue was raised on the adjournment by the Fine Gael and Labour spokespersons on defence, Ms Frances Fitzgerald and Mr Jack Wall.