asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the delay in paying expenses to witnesses called to attend a murder trial (details supplied); and if he will expedite these payments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Witnesses' Expenses.
8.
I am glad to be able to tell the Deputy that the expenses of the witnesses in this case have been paid. The delay, which is regretted, was caused by the relevant claims being inadvertently filed away in my Department with other associated claims that had been paid.
Is the Minister aware that this is the second time the expenses were sent to Dublin and that there are further expenses due to bank robbery witnesses in that area? The local Garda Síochána cannot look forward to getting much help from people in future if the people are not going to get their proper expenses. There has been a delay of two years.
This does not quite accord with the information at my disposal. I shall make further inquiries, but I understand from the Garda authorities in Cahir that no written representations were received by them in connection with claims and neither can they recall any verbal inquiries being made in regard to them. The Department's files have been examined and there is no record of any previous correspondence relating to these claims and, while in no way questioning the Deputy's raising the matter by way of Parliamentary Question, the oversight could have been rectified at any time by a simple telephone call or a letter to the Department.
The gardái did notify the Department on numerous occasions that the expenses had not been paid and on two occasions a full list of the expenses were sent to the Department.
The information I have does not tally with the Deputy's, but I shall certainly ask the Minister for Justice to make further inquiries in view of what the Deputy has just said.
Would the Minister also ask his colleague, the Minister for Justice, to ensure that the payments in the bank robbery case are also made immediately?
Yes.