Over €10m paid to victims of violent crime last year under State compensation scheme

Seán McCárthaigh

Over €10 million was paid out to victims of violent crime last year to compensate them for losses suffered as a result of their injuries, while the number of new claimants soared by 40 per cent.

The latest annual report of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal reveals a total of 203 awards were made to claimants last year under the scheme for a combined sum of €10.015 million – up from €7.5 million in 2023.

The figures show represent an average payout of €49,335 in each award last year – up from €27,838 in 2023.

The report also showed that the total payouts from a separate scheme to compensate prison officers injured in the line of duty, which is also overseen by the CICT, almost quadrupled to over €4.1 million last year.

The tribunal made awards totalling €4.133 million in relation to 132 claims, representing average compensation of awards to prison officers of approximately €31,310 in each case.

The CICT annual report shows that 11 prison officers received two or more awards last year.

One of the largest awards of compensation under the general scheme was for almost €240,000 to a man who suffered head injuries in an assault which resulted in him undergoing a personality change and suffering depression.

The award was made after the man appealed the original decision to grant him compensation of just over €26,310.

He claimed the consequences of the assault were profound as he lost his employment in the construction industry and accommodation which resulted in him spending long periods in homelessness while his relationship with his family disintegrated.

The victim was awarded a total of €238,894 including €236,250 for past loss earnings.

However, many awards are for a few hundred euro for out-of-pocket expenses.

The chairperson of the CICT, Patricia Sheehy Skeffington, said the general scheme, which was established in 1974, continued to provide a valuable source of financial support to persons who had suffered injuries as a victim of violent crime.

Ms Sheehy Skeffington said the ongoing importance of the two schemes was demonstrated by the continuing number of new applications made in 2024.

The figures show the combined number of new applicants last year at 299, consisting of 229 under the general scheme and 70 under the one for prison officers.

Ms Sheehy Skeffington said there was a notable increase in the number of new applicants for the general scheme which was up approximately 40 per cent compared to 2023.

However, the number of new applications from prison officers in 2024 was down 21 per cent on the previous year.

A total of 557 files were sent for decision last year to members of the tribunal, who consist of qualified barristers and solicitors appointed by the Minister for Justice.

The scheme allows victims and their dependents in fatal cases to apply for reimbursement of expenses and losses they may have suffered as a direct result of a violent crime.

The CICT also considers claims for compensation from people injured in coming to the aid of gardaí or trying to prevent crime in a public place as well as anyone injured in preventing the escape of a criminal from custody or attempting to save a human life.

An application for compensation must be submitted to the CICT within three months of the offence, although a longer deadline of up to two years is accepted in exceptional circumstances.

The incident must also be reported to gardaí without delay.

Since 1986, compensation is only paid out in relation to special damages – losses which are quantifiable such as wages – as the CICT does not consider any award for general damages such as pain and suffering.

The scheme is considered a “cash-limited grant scheme” which means awards by the CICT are limited to the amount in annual funding voted to it by the Dáil each year.

The CICT noted that there are currently a number of legal proceedings being taken in the courts which are challenging whether elements of the scheme are in compliance with an EU directive which requires member states to establish a system for providing victims who suffer injuries as a result of violent crimes with fair and appropriate compensation.

A decision is expected later this year from the Court of Justice of the EU on a case which was referred to it by the High Court in order to seek clarity on the nature and extent of any obligations the State might have to provide compensation for pain and suffering.

Commenting on the case last week, the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, said the ruling could potentially increase the liability of the State “hugely.”

The legal challenge is being taken by a man, Alejandro Blanco, who suffered life-changing injuries when he was seriously assaulted outside his home in July 2015 but who only received an award of €645 from the CICT.

Mr O’Callaghan said the reason for the small awards was due to the limits on the type of compensation payable by the Tribunal which are confined to “material financial loss.”

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on justice, Matt Carthy, welcomed confirmation by the minister of increased funding for the scheme but stated it still needs “to be reformed, put on a statutory basis and properly funded.”

Last year, a Circuit Court judge, Judge Keenan Johnson, called for National Lottery funding and court fines to be used to provide improved compensation payments for victims of violent crime.

Judge Johnson claimed the current system was “inadequate” and observed that a scheme which does not allow payments to compensate for any pain or suffering was “grossly unjust.”