Backlog in Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal leaving victims waiting years for compensation

Backlog in Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal leaving victims waiting years for compensation

A serious backlog in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal is leaving victims of serious assaults waiting years for compensation, The Irish Times reports.

Just 31 payments were made in 2017 while 181 new applications were received, and only 10 payments were made in the first five months of 2018 against 73 new applications.

Since 2012, the Tribunal has received a total of 1,357 claims but only made 597 payments.

Fianna Fáil TD John Curran has now issued a call for an “thorough review” of the system.

He said: “A thorough review must be carried out before next year’s figure of unsettled claims rises even more.

“This review could not come quick enough for very many victims of crime or their families.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said complex cases took time to assess but aspects of the scheme were being examined.

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