2020-11-02 · Limerick
Backlog of 44 months at State crime compensation tribunal, court hears
Mr Noel Hickey, aged in his mid‑thirties, brought High Court judicial review proceedings against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, the Department of Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General after a 44‑month backlog delayed his claim for compensation following a 2014 assault that left him with life‑changing injuries. The assault, in which he was punched and kicked with steel‑capped boots, caused brain bleeding, facial deformation, a broken eye socket, nose, jaw and chin, and left him in a coma for four weeks. He now suffers memory loss, anosmia, ageusia and requires ongoing surgeries. His counsel, Thomas Creed SC, argued that no interim payment had been made and that the Tribunal was understaffed. The court heard that, at the current rate, Mr Hickey would not receive any compensation until 2023 or 2024 at the earliest.