A profoundly disabled girl with cerebral palsy has secured a €23.5 million settlement, the highest ever in a personal injuries action here, over alleged negligence in the circumstances of her birth at St Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork, 16 years ago.
The settlement for Kameela Kuye against the HSE, approved by Mr Justice Kevin Cross, was made without admission of liability and was reached after a mediation.
The judge told Ms Kuye's parents that they were to be congratulated for their extremely good care of her and he considered the settlement was a "very good" one.
In business news, the KBC Group has revealed its intention to leave the Republic of Ireland, with plans to sell its performing loans and deposits to Bank of Ireland.
The Belgian group's departure will reduce the number of retail banks in the country to three.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said the decision taken by the bank to leave the Irish market is regrettable, particularly as it comes so soon after NatWest’s decision to withdraw Ulster Bank Ireland from the Irish banking sector.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has urged Ireland to pursue less restrictive measures than the mandatory hotel quarantine regime introduced last month.
The EU executive wrote to the Irish Government on Friday seeking clarification as to why some fellow EU member states were subject to the rules, a spokesman said.
Ireland is the only one the EU's 27 countries that requires arrivals from certain countries to pay almost €2,000 each to quarantine for up to 14 days in a secure hotel.
Finally, hospitality businesses in the Republic are calling on the Government to provide clarity over the sector's reopening.
Pubs will be permitted to reopen for outdoor service in Northern Ireland from April 30th onwards.
Travel across the Border for nights out will be “inevitable” once pubs reopen in Northern Ireland, according to publicans in the Republic.
