More than €10 million was awarded to victims of violent crime last year to compensate them for financial losses stemming from their injuries, while the volume of new claims surged by 40 per cent, reports Breaking News.
The most recent annual report from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal (CICT) shows 203 compensation awards were issued in 2024, amounting to €10.015 million in total – a significant increase from €7.5 million the previous year.
This reflects an average compensation of €49,335 per award in 2024, compared to €27,838 in 2023, reports Breaking News.
The report also highlighted that a separate scheme for compensating prison officers injured on duty paid out over €4.1 million last year — nearly four times more than in 2023.
Under this scheme, 132 claims were granted, with average payments of around €31,310 to each prison officer.
According to the CICT, 11 prison officers were granted more than one award last year, reports Breaking News.
One of the largest individual awards made under the general scheme totalled nearly €240,000. It was awarded to a man who sustained a head injury during an assault, resulting in a personality change and depression.
The victim successfully appealed an initial award of just over €26,000, arguing that the assault left him unable to work in construction, homeless for extended periods, and estranged from his family.
He ultimately received €238,894 in compensation, which included €236,250 for lost income, reports Breaking News.
However, many compensation awards are significantly smaller, sometimes just a few hundred euro to cover basic expenses.
The CICT’s chairperson, Patricia Sheehy Skeffington, said the general scheme — in place since 1974 — continues to offer vital financial assistance to individuals harmed by violent crime.
She also noted that the importance of both compensation schemes remains clear, given the steady flow of new applications received in 2024, reports Breaking News.
The data shows 299 new applications last year: 229 under the general scheme and 70 from prison officers.
Ms Sheehy Skeffington said the number of new applicants under the general scheme had risen by around 40 per cent compared to 2023.
However, there was a 21 per cent decline in new claims from prison officers compared to the previous year.
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Last year, 557 files were forwarded to tribunal members — all qualified solicitors and barristers appointed by the Minister for Justice — for decisions, reports Breaking News.
The scheme enables victims of violent crime, and in fatal cases their dependents, to seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and financial losses directly linked to the crime.
The Tribunal also reviews claims from individuals injured while assisting gardaí, attempting to prevent crimes, stopping a criminal from escaping, or trying to save someone’s life in public settings.
Claims must typically be submitted within three months of the incident, although delays up to two years are considered in exceptional situations, reports Breaking News.
The crime must also be reported to gardaí promptly.
Since 1986, the Tribunal has only provided compensation for quantifiable financial losses such as income, as it does not issue compensation for general damages like pain and suffering.
The scheme operates under a “cash-limited grant” structure, meaning payouts are restricted to the amount allocated to it in the national budget, reports Breaking News.
The Tribunal noted that ongoing legal proceedings are currently challenging whether aspects of the scheme meet EU standards, which require that member states ensure fair and appropriate compensation for victims of violent crime.
A ruling is expected later this year from the Court of Justice of the European Union on a case sent from the Irish High Court, which seeks clarification on whether EU law obliges the State to provide compensation for pain and suffering, reports Breaking News.
Speaking about the case, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said the judgment could significantly raise the State’s financial responsibility: “hugely.”
The case was brought by Alejandro Blanco, a man who sustained life-altering injuries in a serious assault outside his home in July 2015, yet received only €645 in compensation from the Tribunal.
Mr O’Callaghan explained that such low compensation resulted from the scheme’s restriction to “material financial loss,” reports Breaking News.
Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Matt Carthy welcomed the minister’s confirmation of extra funding for the Tribunal but insisted that it “needs to be reformed, put on a statutory basis and properly funded.”
Last year, Circuit Court Judge Keenan Johnson called for court fines and National Lottery funds to be used to improve victim compensation under the scheme.
Judge Johnson criticised the current system as “inadequate” and said the exclusion of any payments for pain or suffering was “grossly unjust,” reports Breaking News.
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