From:Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan today published a revised Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The revised Scheme makes provision for compensation to victims for pain and suffering as a result of a crime of violence.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is a longstanding Scheme that provides compensation to victims of violent crime in the State. It has been in place since 1974 and was subject to major changes in 1986 and 2021.

"The revised Scheme published today follows a Government decision last April to amend the Scheme in light of the clarifications from the Court of Justice of the European Union judgment of 2 October 2025. That judgment found that national schemes for compensating victims of violent crime could not exclude compensation for pain and suffering. Accordingly, this amended Scheme now provides for compensation for pain and suffering.

“I am also mindful that the Scheme is put on a sustainable financial footing. That is why this revised Scheme has also introduced, for the first time, provision for Guidelines concerning the value of awards that may be made by the Tribunal. These Guidelines will help give certainty to both the victims of violent crime and to the State as to the levels of awards that may be made by the Tribunal. Subject to Government approval, I look forward to the publication of those Guidelines in the Autumn.”

"Today’s amendments are the latest in an ongoing process to reform the Scheme. Those reforms are designed to improve the Scheme for victims as well as help ensure the long-term financial viability of the Scheme. This process will continue.

“There is also a longer-term commitment in the Programme for Government for further reforms, including placing the Scheme on a statutory footing. The publication earlier this year of the Law Reform Commission’s comprehensive report on victim compensation will help in that regard. Officials in my Department have reconvened the Working Group examining this area and are currently considering both the LRC report as well as other short- and longer-term measures to further advance reform of the Scheme.

“The Government and I remain committed to bringing in further reforms, as outlined in the Programme for Government.”

Further information on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme can be found here:Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme