Mayo local authority pays out €2.4m. in insurance claims

MAYO County Council's insurers paid almost €2.4 million in insurance claims in the county over the last two years, according to data which has been released by the council, writes CLAIRE MCNAMARA.

The average of the 96 settlements amounted to €7,529 in 2017 and the average of the 157 settlements in 2018 came to €10,661.

Details released to The Connaught Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act show Mayo County Council's insurers, Irish Public Bodies, settled €2,396,695 worth of claims during 2017 and 2018.

The top five claim causes that resulted in payouts were footpath and slip and trip, unknown circumstances, road, manhole and accidental-damage/collision.

In 2017, 10 claims were made for footpath injuries, which resulted in €283,904 being paid out.

In 2018, 28 claims were made and a total of €894,428 was paid out, while the first quarter of 2018 saw the biggest payout - amounting to €461,709.

A sum of €53,971 was paid out in 2017 for road-related problems, while 2018 saw €274,780 paid out for the same issue - with the largest amount paid in the third quarter of 2018 amounting to €113,848.

Separately, accidental-damage/collision resulted in payments of €108,133 in 2017, with the second quarter seeing the largest payout - amounting to €74,152.

In 2018, IPB insurers paid out €73,197 across the 12 months for accidental damage/collision, with the largest sum paid in the third quarter - €67,968.

A payment of €25,875 was made in the third quarter of 2017 for manhole related problems, while €348,122 was paid in the third and fourth quarter of 2018.