Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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421. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 91 of 13 December 2018 and 466 and 549 of 8 May 2019, when the assessment in respect of the workload of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal will be finalised as indicated; when an update will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5317/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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On foot of a request from my Department, the Law Reform Commission is to carry out a comprehensive review of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme; this work had been due to begin this year. This project is very welcome as it will provide for a thorough and independent examination of all aspects of this long-established Scheme. This review will help ensure that the State’s arrangements for the compensation of victims of violent crime are in keeping with international practice and meet the needs of the public into the future.

In the meantime, pending that overall review, a report is to be furnished to my office by July in relation to a range of issues that need to be addressed, including in relation to the potential backlog.

However, I can assure the Deputy that applications made under the Scheme continue to be actively processed by the Tribunal. I am advised that, to date in 2020 and despite the difficulties presented by the current Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 102 decisions have been made by Tribunal members on applications received under the General Scheme.