Vol. 382 No. 7
asked the Minister for Justice if he will introduce legislation to accord recognition to victims of crimes by allowing them (a) access to information about the progress of the investigation on the court case (b) the right to be consulted regarding critical decisions in a case and (c) the introduction of a formal system of recompense to the victim by the offender thereby recognising that the State, in pursuing a criminal action, is acting on behalf of the victim of that crime.
29.
asked the Minister for Justice if he has considered the suggestion made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, speaking at the recent annual conference of the Irish Association of Victim Support, regarding a system whereby offenders would in appropriate case be required to recompense their victims financially; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 29 together.
While the gardaí do not, as a matter of course, keep victims informed of developments in the investigation of crimes it does happen, in many cases, that the victim will seek a progress report from the gardaí and this is given to the extent that it is possible to do so without jeopardising the investigation. In many instances the victim's requirements are covered in informal contact between the victim and members of the Force. Normally, where an offender is apprehended, the victim is informed and she/he is usually aware of subsequent court development as she/he is generally involved as a witness. Any proposal to introduce a formal system of keeping every victim informed of developments in his/her case as a matter of course would require examination from the point of view of Garda personnel and other resources.
With regard to item (b) in Question No. 25, I understand that the Director of Public Prosecutions has invited the Irish Association for Victim Support to consult with him with a view to seeing what procedures could be devised, within the limits of resources available to him, to ensure that a victim is informed as to the progress of prosecutions.
Legislation would be required to establish a formal system whereby a person convicted of a criminal offence could be ordered to pay compensation to a victim of his crime. For reasons which have been explained in this House on previous occasions, I could not undertake to indicate, by way of reply to Parliamentary Questions, what specific legislative proposals I might have in a particular area.
