Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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744. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal does not have sufficient funding to give immediate payment following an award that has been made to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27776/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the terms of the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal is entirely independent in the matter of individual applications for compensation that fall to be considered by the Tribunal. However, in order to be of assistance to you in the matter I have had enquiries made with the Tribunal on your behalf.

I understand that the Tribunal has made an award in favour of the person concerned who was notified of this decision on 3 April, 2013. I am informed that the Tribunal has not received a signed form of acceptance to date and, in this regard, the Tribunal is not in a position to process the application further. The Deputy may also wish to note that during 2012 in particular, a small number of high awards made by the Tribunal in accordance with the provisions of the Scheme and the extent of the injuries suffered by the applicants concerned has caused the level of compensation awarded to exceed the budgetary provision for the payment of compensation. It has been necessary for the Tribunal to carry forward a significant amount of those awards for payment during 2013. This led to the 2013 budget becoming fully committed. As the Deputy will appreciate, the budget available to the Tribunal, in common with all Government Departments, is limited and in circumstances where there is no upper limit to the amount that may be awarded by the Tribunal in an individual case a small number of high awards can very quickly exhaust the funding available.