€8.7 million has been paid out by Clare County Council in insurance claims since 2016.
The number of claims to the local authority appears to be on the rise again after a lull in activity during the height of the pandemic.
Figures obtained by Clare FM following a Freedom of Information request show an average of €1.43 million a year was paid out by Clare County Council between 2016 and 2019.
That dropped dramatically, by about two thirds, just just over €500,000 in 2020 when COVID-19 hit our shores.
It sharply increased once again last year to more than €1.1 million, with €1.35 million being paid out by the local authority between January and June of this year alone.
The majority of claims costing the Council money are public liability-related, which accounted for 71 of last year’s 95 separate claims and 86 percent of the total payouts.
A handful of motor and property claims each year are making up the difference.
Interestingly, the average amount paid out per claim by the Council appears to be increasing.
It came to around €11,651 across 135 different claims back in 2016, though in the first six months of this year, it hits nearly €20,000 across 68 separate claims.
