Vol. 561 No. 1
463 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress which has been made by his Department in progressing the recommendation of the Victims' Commission on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3367/03]
The position is that a number of the recommendations of the report of the Victims' Commission, which was published in August 1999, have been or are being implemented as follows: the independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin, Monaghan and Dundalk bombings is nearing completion; provision by the Department of Health and Children of funding for counselling in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing; provision of extra funding to health boards for the recruitment of additional paramedical staff, thus furthering the implementation of recommendations relating to long-term care of victims; and the continuous funding, since August 2001, by my Department of a family services support centre for victims of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and other atrocities. The centre is run by the Justice for the Forgotten group. A review of the criminal injuries compensation scheme is nearing completion.
In relation to the proposal for the establishment of a fund to provide assistance to those bereaved and injured in this jurisdiction as a result of violence associated with the conflict in Northern Ireland, I refer the Deputy to my reply to oral Questions Nos. 62 and 63 of 6 February.
