Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The general situation is that fund gets fairly exhausted early in the year. If an award is made to people under the criminal injuries compensation tribunal and no money is available that year, they will get it fairly promptly the next year. It is a scheme that needs to be reformed and put on a statutory basis. There is also a series of references to the CJEU in respect of how the scheme operates. A reference has been made in a case called Blanco that will have a significant impact. People do not get money for pain and suffering but only for material loss. The Law Reform Commission has prepared a detailed report on it and it is something I am going to look at. If people are given an award, they will ultimately get their money, although there can be a delay.