asked the Minister for Justice in view of his decision to reduce the provision for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal to £2.667 million in 1986, compared with an outturn of £3.99 million in 1985, and the review of the scheme which he has conducted, the changes which the Government have sanctioned in the conditions of this scheme.
Written Answers. - Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal.
188.
The scheme of compensation for personal injuries criminally inflicted is being amended to provide that compensation will not be payable in respect of pain and suffering attributable to injuries sustained on or after the 1 April 1986.
189.
asked the Minister for Justice when he intends to lay before the Dáil the reports of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal for each of the years from 1982 to 1985 inclusive in accordance with the requirements of the scheme; when each of these reports was submitted to his Department by the Tribunal; and the reason for the delay in publication.
I intend to lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly the reports of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal for each of the years 1982, 1983 and 1984. The report for the year 1985 is not yet available.
I should say at the outset that these reports are normally received in my Department some considerable time after the period to which they refer. The 1982 report was submitted in January 1984 and, initially, it was decided to defer presentation of it to the Houses of the Oireachtas pending the preparation of amendments to the scheme which were then under consideration. The 1983 report was submitted in November 1984 and, due to an administrative misunderstanding, it, and the 1982 report, were not presented. The 1984 report was submitted in January 1986, and, as I have said, will be presented shortly with the others.
In January 1986, the Government approved an amended scheme which will take effect from 1 April 1986. The revised scheme was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas yesterday.