The tourist victim support service – TVSS – was set up in April 1994 and is run by the victim support organisation, from premises provided by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Harcourt Square. The service provides emotional and practical support – assistance in replacing passports, travel documents, travellers' cheques, etc. – to tourist victims of crime, following referral by the Garda. No direct financial aid is provided to victims, although benefit-in-kind is provided by the tourism industry. This includes emergency accommodation, clothing and toiletries, travel tickets, meal vouchers, etc. A freephone helpline was recently set up.
Since its inception, the Garda has referred the following numbers of cases to the service: