Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1581. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the criminal injuries compensation scheme, to include the number of applications received relative to the number of awards granted since the scheme's introduction, and the specific grounds under which any refusals have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19670/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme continues to play an important and significant role in providing practical support by way of monetary compensation to victims of violent crime.

Notwithstanding this, the Government is committed to reforming the Scheme, including placing it on a statutory footing as provided for in the Programme for Government, and work is currently being advanced in relation to this.

In considering claims made to it under the Scheme, the independent Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal determines each application under the terms and conditions of the Scheme. Those terms provide for a series of grounds on which the Tribunal may decide not to make an award or to make a part award to an applicant in their particular case. A copy of the Scheme’s terms and conditions are available on the Scheme’s dedicated website at (www.gov.ie/en/criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme/campaigns/criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme/)

Previous decisions of the Tribunal, including decisions on which claims are refused, are published in redacted form on that website.

In relation to the number of awards and applications made under the Scheme since its establishment in 1974, the below table provides this information in respect of the years 2019-2025 (to date). Comparable data in relation to earlier years is not readily available.

I must advise the Deputy that due to the intrinsic nature of the Scheme, awards made in any given year will include awards made in respect of applications submitted in preceding years.