Cork City Council has paid out €3.3m in insurance claims since 2024

Cork City Council has paid out €3.3m in insurance claims between 2024 and 2025 to date, with the largest number of these claims relating to roads and footpaths.

The figures come as a councillor called for more to be done to proactively repair infrastructure to avoid causing people harm.

Almost €2.2m was paid out for 200 claims during 2024, with a further €1.1m paid out on 99 claims so far in 2025.

Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan requested details from the local authority on the number of insurance claims received by the council as a whole for 2024 and 2025 year to date, and the amount paid out during the same period. He also queried what financial impact that is having on insurance premiums taken out by Cork City Council.

Barry O’Hare, the council’s chief financial officer, said that in 2024, a total of 228 claims were received: Four relating to council buildings; 23 related to drains, gulleys, and chamber covers; 65concerning footpaths and walkways; 24 about housing and estates; one for parks and playgrounds; and 111 for roads, including potholes. So far in 2025, 122 insurance claims have been received.

These claims were broken down into 12 for drains, gulleys, and chamber covers; 25 relating to footpaths and walkways; 12 for housing and estates; one in the area of parks and playgrounds; 71 on roads; and one on signage.

The council noted “that not all of these claims remain open”.

“Some have been settled [and included in payments below].

“Others are in progress, or liability has been denied, or a third-party liability has been identified.

“The payments made in 2024 and 2025 are irrespective of the year to which the claims refer.”

In terms of payments, 299 payments totalling €3,316,765 were made.

The average payment per claim was €11,093.

Claims related to footpaths proved to be the most expensive, averaging €23,601 each.

Two hundred of the 299 claims were paid out in 2024.

One claim which was related to council buildings was paid out, recording a cost of €1,377.

Some €29,000 was paid out for three parks and playground claims; and €59,061 was paid out for 12 drains, gulleys, and chamber covers claims.

Twenty housing and estates claims were paid out, costing €151,764; 66 footpaths and walkways claims were paid out at €1.54m in total; and 98 claims related to roads at a cost of €315,211.

Just under €2.2m was spent paying out claims in 2024.

This year so far, eight drains, gulleys, and chamber-covers claims totalling €243,471 have been paid out; as well as eight housing and estates claims at €29,533; and one parks and playgrounds claim at €7,250.

There were also 28 footpaths and walkways claims at €677,778; and 54 roads at a cost of €161,645.

This recorded a total figure of €1.12m paid out so far in 2025.

Mr O’Hare added: “Cork City Council is self-insured for public liability. The public liability premium is not dependent on the level of claims received.”

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Horgan said that spending more than €3m on insurance claims in under two years is “a significant sum of money”.

“Proactively repairing issues so claims do not happen at such a high level must be the watchword,” Mr Horgan said.

“To do that requires a robust and resourced budget, one that I and my Labour Party colleagues take seriously and have provided at Cork City Council.

“I will continue to direct for repair and maintenance to occur before collapses happen that end up costing the public purse more.”