Asbestos-related compensation pay outs top £40m

Greg Hopkin (left) died of mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos

The government has paid out more than £40m in compensation for asbestos-related illnesses in Northern Ireland since 2011, BBC News NI can reveal.

Belfast's shipbuilding industry is linked to the majority of the claims.

At its height it employed more than 30,000 people, with the Titanic its best-known vessel.

The Department for the Economy paid out more than £35m in asbestos disease compensation to 1,500 people between 2011 and 2021.

The department manages claims made against the former Belfast ship-building company Harland and Wolff.

Asbestos was used in building materials until it was discovered that inhalation of fibres could cause cancers. It is only considered dangerous when moved or disturbed.

A compensation scheme for individuals who were exposed to asbestos in other industries is run by the Department for Communities (DfC).

Members of the public can claim a one-off lump-sum payment through the scheme if they have not previously received payment for the disease from an employer or a civil claim.

Although the ship-building tradition is linked to most claims, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that £5.8m has also been paid out through the Department of Communities' scheme to 378 individuals since 2011.

'Dad should still be here'

Chris (right) has taken up running in memory of his father Greg (left)

Greg Hopkins had "a passion for life".

He completed 77 marathons before his death in 2014.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 60 and died two years later.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that has a strong link to asbestos exposure and symptoms can take decades to develop.

Mr Hopkins had worked in a number of factories and industries throughout the years.

His son Chris said: "Dad should still be here today and would be if it wasn't for asbestos.

"It's difficult when I think of what he's missed out on, we'll never get that time back."

Chris and his family received some compensation through one of the government-run asbestos compensation schemes available in Northern Ireland.

Chris said: "Dad always talked about how your health was your wealth, so to be honest no penny is ever going to be enough.

"But when you look at the amount of money that has been paid in compensation, it shows the scale of the problem."

BBC News NI previously reported that the number of asbestos deaths increased by almost 60% in Northern Ireland in 2020 compared to 2019.

The Health and Safety Executive said asbestos-related diseases could take years to develop and "current figures reflect the legacy of past working conditions".

MPs have called for a 40-year deadline for all asbestos to be removed from public and commercial buildings.

Earlier this year the Department of Education confirmed that the vast majority of schools in Northern Ireland contain asbestos.

Across the UK last year a total of £26.8 million was paid out under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment scheme to 185 applicants.

Liz Darlison, CEO of Mesothelioma UK, the asbestos-related cancer charity said: "The UK's asbestos legacy is shameful with no corner of the UK spared and sadly, we have the highest incidence in the world."

Harland and Wolff's best-known vessel is the Titanic, which was built at the yard between 1909 and 1911

Asbestos was a widely-used insulation material in shipbuilding until the 1970s.

Harland and Wolff was privatised in 1989, but DfE retained ownership of its shell company, which includes the liabilities for asbestos-related diseases contracted by former workers.

Harland and Wolff plc went into administration in 2019 and was purchased by an energy firm.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Harland & Wolff in its current ownership places safety and wellbeing of staff at the centre of its operations.

"The claims predate the acquisition of the assets from the administrators in 2019, meaning they are historic in nature and are not connected to Harland & Wolff Group Holdings plc nor any of its subsidiaries."

'What is the price of a life?'

Martin Hanna, a solicitor who specialises in asbestos-related cases, said: "The amount of compensation being paid out and scale doesn't surprise me because asbestos was a very dynamic insulating material which was extensively used in all sectors over decades.

"If you take the shipbuilding industry in Northern Ireland, during the 1950s and 60s, upwards of 40,000 people were working there, it was like a city in itself.

"And those people were exposed to vast amounts of asbestos."

Asbestos is present in many public buildings constructed before the material was banned in 1999

He added: "A diagnosis of something like mesothelioma is one of the most horrific diagnoses that you can receive. It is a very painful death.

"In my opinion, you can't get those individuals and their families enough compensation, because it's a devastating condition which ruins lives, and really, what is the price of a life?"