Minister urges Victims of Crime Support Organisations to apply for grant funding
€1.33 million to be provided in 2008 for groups that support victims of crime
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Brian Lenihan T.D., today urged NGO organisations that provide support and assistance to victims of crime to apply for grant funding of €1.33 million that is being disbursed in 2008 by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime.
The Commission advertised recently for grant applications for 2008 and the closing date for such applications is the 31 January, 2008.
The 2008 funding of €1.33million is an increase of 40% on the 2007 funding allocation of €950,000 from which 37 organisations providing services to victims of crime benefited. Organisations that received funding in 2007 included the Crime Victims Helpline, One in Four, Rape Crises Network, Ruhama, Support after Crime, Support after Homicide and the Federation for Victim Assistance.
Since its inception in April, 2005, the Commission has allocated €2.5m in funding to Non-Governmental Organisations who provide support and assistance to victims of crime. In addition, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal over the past three years has provided compensation totalling €12.56m to individual victims of crime. €4.46m has been allocated to the Tribunal for this purpose in 2008.
Commenting on the support of victims of crime, Minister Lenihan said: "My commitment as Minister is to make Ireland a safer and fairer place. This includes embedding more deeply in the criminal justice system a greater awareness that for every crime there is a victim and ensuring that victims have a central place in the criminal justice process. Through the work of the Commission we are strengthening the supports available to victims of crime and in so doing helping to ensure that victims are treated with the dignity and respect they are entitled to.
The Commission have done immense work in promoting and co-ordinating the services available to victims. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the non-governmental organisations who provide the support services to victims of crime many of whom do so on a voluntary basis. These volunteers can make an enormous difference to a victim’s experience of the criminal justice system."
The Minister is expecting to shortly receive the Commission’s Report on developing a Framework for supporting victims of crime into the future. This document will assist him in implementing the Government’s commitment in the Programme for Government to establish a permanent Victim Support Agency and Victims Council to formulate victim support policy. The Commission’s is also currently reviewing the Victims Charter.
The issue of Victim Impact Statements is also under consideration in the Department, taking account not only of issues raised by the recent debate on the subject but also the recommendations made by the Balance in the Criminal Law Review Group, chaired by Dr Gerard Hogan, SC. The issues involved are complex and require careful consideration in order to ensure that the victim is allowed a reasonable opportunity to have his or her experience taken into account and that, in the interests of all parties, the integrity of the criminal process is preserved and that due process continues to be observed.
23 January 2008
Note for Editors
Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
In March, 2005 the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform established the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime with a remit to:
(a) to devise an appropriate framework for victims of crime into the future and
(b) disburse funding for victim support measures.
The Commission’s term of office is for three years and its members are
Mr Jim Mc Hugh, (Chairman), former Assistant Commissioner, An Gárda Síochána,
Ms Nora Owen, former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform,
Mr Sean Lowry, former head of the Probation and Welfare Service,
Mr Michael Whelan, Gemini Consulting,
Ms Marian Finucane, broadcaster.
The Commission supervises the disbursement of funds to non-governmental organisations providing victim services, with a particular emphasis on the funding of activities on the ground that provide direct support for victims of crime.
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the Commission granted funding for measures to support victims of various crimes including:
• sexual violence
• domestic violence
• murder
• human trafficking and
• general crime.
Funding of € 685,750 was granted in 2005. Funding of €885,250 was granted in 2006 and €946,125 was granted in 2007.
The Victims Charter
The Victims Charter entitled "Victims Charter and Guide to the Criminal Justice System" provides a written framework against which crime victims can measure the level and standard of treatment received in their dealings across all sections of the criminal justice system. It sets out, from the victim’s perspective:
• a general description of the overall criminal justice system
• a concise summary of the role and functions of each of the main bodies/agencies involved
• the entitlements of the victim in terms of standards of treatment, rights and complaints procedures in each area.
A guiding principle of the Victims Charter is a commitment to giving victims of crime a central place in the criminal justice system. As indicated in the Charter, victims of crime are entitled to dignity and compassion from all the services involved in supporting victims of crime.
The Charter is at present being reviewed by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime.