Mr. John Twomey:

There are a couple of ways we deal with it. For more serious crimes a specific liaison officer is appointed. The liaison officer has direct contact on a regular basis with the victim of crime or the family, whatever is appropriate. In other cases we have victims services offices in every Garda division in the country. People can contact them and they will provide feedback on specific cases. In all other cases, the investigating garda has a role and responsibility to keep the victim updated on the progress of the crime. If a court case is pending, there will be ongoing liaison because the victim will be attending court with us. Given the volume of cases, the level of interaction varies depending on the seriousness of the crime.