Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
417. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe within which a case (details supplied) can be decided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45267/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, which has responsibility for the administration of the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted, is independent of my Department in the processing of individual applications under the Scheme.
I can inform the Deputy that applications in the first instance are decided on a file of papers submitted to a single Tribunal Member for consideration as to whether payment of compensation is appropriate. Each case is addressed on the basis of its individual circumstances. While applications are processed with the minimum of formality compared to court proceedings, in making their decisions Tribunal members must be satisfied that all supporting documentation submitted is in order e.g. Garda reports arising from the related criminal investigation, vouched receipts for expenses, medical reports. Accordingly, the processing time for each case can vary considerably and in these circumstances it is not possible to confirm when a decision will issue in an individual case.
