Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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100. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reasons an organisation (details supplied) in County Louth was denied funding from his Department to participate on a court accompaniment training programme funded by the Department [43708/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Organisation in question applied to the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime for funding under their 2011 and 2013 Funding Schemes. The Commission is an independent body operating under the aegis of my Department. The Commission provides funding to non-governmental organisations that provide support and assistance to victims of crime. It examines each application on its own merits and is entirely independent in its decisions. I understand that the Commission was of the view that the organisation concerned was more appropriate to be funded by the health sector, as it dealt with patients.

The Commission provides funding to the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) towards the cost of running a court accompaniment training programme for rape crisis centres. I understand that the RCNI sometimes offers spare places on their training sessions to other organisations funded by the Commission.