Figures show huge fall in value of army deafness payouts
The average payout in army deafness claims has fallen to just €8,900, according to figures released by the Department of Defence.
The figure compares to an average payout of €30,000 when the claims first began several years ago.
The reduction in the level of compensation came about as a result of an agreed formula on payments drawn up after a Supreme Court ruling in 1999.
The Government had initially feared that the army deafness scandal could cost the Irish taxpayer up to €1bn, but the Department of Defence said the reduced payouts meant the total bill is now expected to be closer to €300m.
16,600 army deafness claims have been dealt with so far and an average of four new claims are being made each week.
