Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress on his proposal to introduce a right for the State, to recover from the perpetrators of crime, the amount paid out by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in respect of that crime. [40077/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The question of how offenders might best compensate their victims and indeed the State is not straightforward. In terms of the victim, the Courts may on occasion make orders requiring that compensation be paid to a victim and a civil action for damages can also in principle be taken. However, this process can prove difficult for the victim to obtain financial redress. This is in large part the reason that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme now exists. The Compensation Tribunal is in a position to provide compensation to victims of crime and has a budget of €4.6 million in 2008.

The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments in respect of victims. I will be pursuing their implementation, following further study, during the course of my term in office.

It is important to note that this work is taking place against the backdrop of a range of significant complementary measures introduced by me such as the recent establishment of the Victims of Crime Office to improve State and Voluntary Sector Services for the victims of crime.