Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the efforts she will make to expedite an appeal submitted to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal by a person (details supplied) in 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9446/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, which has responsibility for the administration of the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted, is independent in the matter of individual applications under the Scheme. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy I have had enquiries made with the Tribunal.

Tribunal members, who are practising barristers and practising solicitors in the Courts system, provide their services on a part-time basis to the Tribunal. Appeal hearings are conducted by three Tribunal members. The member who gave the initial decision will not be one of the Tribunal members present at the appeal hearing. Dates for appeal hearings are set on the basis of availability of Tribunal members, appellants and/or their legal representatives.

All appeals received are registered on the date of receipt and placed in chronological order. Appeal hearings are planned on the basis of the order in which the appeals are received based on that chronological order. I understand that the application referred to by the Deputy is the subject of an appeal by the applicant.

I can further inform the Deputy that there are currently (since 30 April, 2016) six Tribunal member vacancies and that appeal hearings cannot be scheduled until at least two new members are appointed. Mindful of this I recently sought expressions of interest from suitably-qualified persons who wish to be considered for appointment as members of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal with a view to filling these vacancies as soon as is practicable.

I am informed that the Tribunal expects to be in a position to schedule the appeal of the person concerned in the period following the appointment of new Tribunal members.