Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
189. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the exact number of Garda compensation claims currently under assessment within her Department in tabular form; the year in which each was received and the current stage of assessment of each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26358/16]
View answerThe Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts, 1941 and 1945 provide for a scheme of compensation for members of An Garda Síochána who are maliciously injured in the course of their duty or in relation to the performance of their duties as members of An Garda Síochána and for the dependants of members who have died from injuries maliciously inflicted on them.
Before deciding if an applicant should be authorised to apply to the High Court for compensation in respect of the injury, the practice has been for the Minister to consider all medical reports submitted by the applicant, together with a report on the incident by the Garda Commissioner and a report on the injury by the Garda Chief Medical Officer.
The whole process of progressing an application for compensation from the date of its receipt to the date it is authorised, may take a considerable period of time. The case cannot be examined until the relevant medical and investigation reports are furnished to my Department. Unavoidable delays can occur where necessary additional enquiries are required, because of the seriousness of the injuries received and the circumstances of the incident.
There are currently 145 applications for compensation ready for processing, which can be broken down as follows:
|
No. of cases being examined by the Department |
71 |
|
No. of cases with queries and/or additional reports to be furnished |
61 |
|
No. of cases with Deciding Officer for final decision |
13 |
|
Total |
145 |
