Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the recently published third annual report of the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime. [21084/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime (CSVC) were appointed by the then Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform for a three year period with effect from March, 2005.

The Commission was tasked with disbursing funding for victim support measures and devising an appropriate support framework for victims into the future. In this regard, the Commission has over the past three years disbursed €2.5 m to over 40 organisations who support victims of crime. The Commission recently submitted to me its Framework Document — Recommendations for the Future Structure and Services for Victims of Crime. In the course of preparing their Report the Commission was in contact with the major stakeholders with a view to embodying these opinions in the Framework Document. This Document is now being considered within my Department with a view to developing the best possible structures for the support of victims of crime into the future and thus honouring the commitment given in the Programme for Government.

The Third Annual Report of the Commission as in their previous Annual Reports sets out the work the Commission undertook during 2007. It outlines its role as ensuring the provision of a high quality service across the country to victims of crime. It notes the importance of a coherent strategy of victim support and that this can only be achieved through co-operation and co-ordination between all the criminal justice agencies.

Since their appointment, the Commission have performed a valuable public service function for which I am grateful.