I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this issue. It is unacceptable that insufficient funds are allocated by the Government to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal to enable it make payments of compensation it has already determined should be made to the victims of crime. It is particularly unacceptable that the funds allocated to the tribunal for 1994 do not allow it to make payments awarded by it during 1993. In agreeing the Estimates for 1994 the Government must have been fully aware of the outstanding moneys due and payable by the tribunal to the victims of crime as a result of adjudications made by it the previous year. The Government is not only blatantly ignoring the tribunal's adjudications but is treating with contempt the victims of crime to whom the tribunal has deemed it appropriate to make awards.
In recent years much lip service and concern has been expressed and many crocodile tears shed by Ministers for the victims of rape and sexual assault. In this area action speaks louder than words. It is clear that the action taken is, sadly, at variance with the honeyed words of concern regularly expressed. I will illustrate my point by giving an example. I will furnish the Minister of State with the name of the person concerned on the conclusion of the debate.
In February 1986 a young woman was attacked and raped in her home in Adare, County Limerick. The rape took place at approximatley 2 a.m. when she woke up with a man's hands around her throat. She was raped as she lay in bed. The perpetrator had a previous criminal record and the incident occurred on the day he was released from prison. Subsequently he was apprehended by the Garda and sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment.
The tragic victim of this horrific incident claimed compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal as she was entitled. On 16 July 1993 she was advised that the tribunal had made an award in her favour in the sum of £20,205. It is now almost 17 months since the award was made. To date no payment has been made in accordance with the award to the victim of this rape. Upon payment being sought the tribunal informed her "the funds available to the tribunal this year for the payment of compensation are insufficient to enable it to pay the award in 1994". She was assured, however, that it would be paid "as soon as sufficient funds are available". This is unacceptable. When a tribunal established by the State to make awards of this nature determines that a payment of compensation should be made to a woman who has been the victim of rape the award should be paid without unreasonable delay. The delay in this instance is not merely unreasonable, it is scandalous and unacceptable. It is eight years since this rape took place. Not only will the compensation award not be paid this year it is not known whether a payment will be made to her in either 1995 or 1996.
I call on the Government to ensure that sufficient funds are provided to the tribunal during the course of the next two weeks to enable it not only to comply with its obligation to make the payment due to the woman whose case I have illustrated but also to enable it to make all payments due in respect of all other awards made by it to date. It undermines confidence in the institutions of this State and the credibility of this Government when it expresses concern for the victims of crime when those who have been affected in this way by a horrendous crime find themselves abandoned by the Government and compensation remains unpaid 17 months after a tribunal established by the State has determined a compensation payment should be made. It is also unacceptable that they can be given no indication of the time span within which the payment will be made.
I hope the Minister of State will deal with all the people to whom awards have been made but have not been paid. I will furnish him with the name of the person concerned. I am sure he will understand that I have good reason for not naming her in the House. I ask him to respond as rapidly as possible and give me an assurance that the award made to her will be paid, preferably before the end of this year.