- The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
- An Garda Síochána
- Irish Courts Service
- Director of Public Prosecutions
- The Probation Service
- The Prison Service
- Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
- Citizens Information Board
- Legal Aid Board
- Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
- Crime Victims Helpline
- Rape Crisis Network Ireland
- Support After Crime Services
- Women’s Aid
- Court Support Service
- Advic
- One in Four
- Irish Tourist Assistance Service
- CARI
- AMEN
- Federation for Victim Assistance
- Blue Blindfold.gov.ie
- Ruhama
The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
Director of Public Prosecutions
Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
Irish Tourist Assistance Service
Federation for Victim Assistance
The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime is an independent body which operates under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Law Reform. It provides funding for voluntary sector organisations supporting victims of crime.
The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
- assists in the development of strategies and policies to support victims of crime
- provides financial assistance to voluntary bodies that support victims of crime
- encourages the provision of services for victims of crime in all areas of the country
- works in association with the Victims of Crime Office
- promotes awareness of the services available to victims of crime
- supports the Crime Victims Helpline
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.csvc.ie/
An Garda Síochána
An Garda Síochána is Ireland’s national police service.
An Garda Síochána
- performs its functions at national and local level
- makes referrals to victim support agencies
- provides information on cases and support to victims
- promotes an inter-agency approach to problem solving and improving the overall quality of life
- works to achieve prevention, reduction in crime and the fear of crime
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.garda.ie
Irish Courts Service
The Courts Service is an independent statutory agency, established by the Courts Service Act 1998, which manages the courts, supports the judiciary and ensures a quality service to all users of the court.
The Courts Service
- performs its functions at national and local level
- provides facilities for victims and their family in all new and refurbished court buildings
- manages and maintains court buildings
- works with victim support groups to provide a court accompaniment service
CONTACTS:
Websitehttps://www.courts.ie/judgments
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the public prosecutor for the state and is an independent office established under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974, where decisions are taken free from political or other undue influence.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions:
- aims to operate to the highest professional standards and to treat all those with whom it has dealings fairly, equally and consistently, without any wrongful discrimination
- has three divisions: Directing Division, Solicitors Division and Administration Division
- considers victims’ views when making decisions
- appeals a sentence to a higher court if considered unduly lenient
- considers requests for reviews of the decision and in appropriate cases carries out an independent internal review
- See booklets Going to Court as a Witness and The Role of the DPP available in nine languages.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.dppireland.ie
The Probation Service
The Probation Service is an agency of the Department of Justice and Law Reform. The role of the service is to act as lead agency in the assessment and management of offenders in the community.
The Probation Service
- performs its functions at national and local level
- provides probation supervision, community service, anti-offending behaviour programmes and specialist support services
- provides services to both adult and young offenders, in the community and in custody and aims to stop them committing further offences
- conducts family conferences and on the request of the court provides a Victim Impact Report
- directs restitution by offenders in appropriate cases
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.probation.ie/
The Prison Service
The Prison Service is an independent body since 1996, which operates as an executive agency of the Department of Justice and Law Reform. The Irish Prison Service deals with male offenders who are 16 years of age or over and female offenders who are 17 years of age or over.
The Prison Service
- performs its functions at national and local level
- ensures that no additional distress is caused to victims by any action of an offender while imprisoned
- deals with male offenders who are 16 years of age or over and female offenders who are 17 years of age or over
- has a mission to provide safe, secure and humane custody for people who are sent to prison
- is committed to managing custodial sentences in a way which encourages and supports prisoners
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.irishprisons.ie
Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal administers the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted under which victims of crime can apply for compensation.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
- administers the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted
- considers applications from people who suffer a personal injury or death as a result of a crime of violence
- will look for a Garda report on the crime
The Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted
- pays compensation for expenses and losses suffered as a direct result of a violent crime or while assisting or trying to assist in preventing a crime or saving a human life
- may award compensation on the basis of any vouched out of pocket expenses, including loss of earnings, experienced by the victim or, if the victim has died as a result of the incident, by the dependants of the victim
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0bff8-criminal-injuries-compensation-scheme/
Citizens Information Board
The Citizens Information Board is the statutory body which supports the provision of information, advice and advocacy on a broad range of public and social services.
The Citizens Information Board
- performs its functions on national and local level
- provides the Citizens Information website, http://www.citizensinformation.ie/, and supports the voluntary network of Citizens Information Centres and the Citizens Information Phone Service 1890 777 121
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/
Legal Aid Board
The Legal Aid Board is an independent, publicly-funded organisation whose mission is "To provide a professional, efficient, cost-effective and accessible legal aid and advice service".
The Legal Aid Board
- performs its functions at national and local level
- is responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995
- provides legal aid and advice primarily by solicitors employed by the Board in law centres
- provides services on a nationwide basis through 33 full-time and 12 part-time law centres,
- incorporating three full-time law centres comprising the Refugee Legal Service (RLS)
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.legalaidboard.ie/
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is responsible for receiving and dealing with all complaints made by members of the public concerning the conduct of members of An Garda Síochána.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
- has the mission to provide the public with an independent and effective oversight of policing, and to deal with the public’s complaints concerning Gardaí fairly and efficiently
- is also obliged to investigate any matter that appears to it to indicate that the conduct of a Garda may have resulted in death of, or serious harm to, a person
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.gardaombudsman.ie
Crime Victims Helpline
The Crime Victims Helpline provides information, emotional support and referral to other services to victims of crime. Its phone number is Freephone 116006 or call-save 1850 211 407.
For more information, click here.
Rape Crisis Network Ireland
The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) acts as an umbrella organisation for rape crisis centres in Ireland to provide services such as counselling, advice, helpline, advocacy, SATU/medical forensic examination accompaniment and court accompaniment.
The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI)
- performs its functions at national and local level
- provides support and information to member Rape Crisis Centres
- campaigns for funding and improvement of services
- undertakes research and collects data relating to sexual violence
- campaigns for the social and legislative changes
- raises public awareness about sexual violence and the needs of survivors
CONTACTS:
Website: http://https://www.rcni.ie/
Support After Crime Services
The Support After Crime Services is a voluntary service founded in January 2006, which provides emotional and practical support to all persons affected by crime.
The Support After Crime Services
- offer victims of crime practical and emotional support in a confidential manner operating under clear guidelines and policies
- provide victims of crime with information on the criminal justice system
- give practical assistance in completion of a victim impact statement
- accompany victims/witnesses to court
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.supportaftercrimeservices.ie
Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid is a national voluntary organisation which provides support and information to women and their children who are being physically, emotionally, financially and sexually abused in their own homes.
Women's Aid
- performs its functions on national and local level
- is a feminist, political and campaigning organisation committed to the elimination of violence and abuse of women through effecting political, cultural and social change
- provides direct support services to women experiencing male violence and abuse
- works from the principles of empowerment, collective action, self-help and mutual aid, inclusion and equality
- provides direct services to women experiencing domestic violence through National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 ( available from 10a.m. to 10p.m.) and court accompaniment service
- has self-development programmes and provides one-to-one support visits, outreach services, referrals to other agencies and advocacy
Website: https://www.womensaid.ie
Court Support Service
The Court Support Service is a voluntary organisation, funded by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime. Its volunteers are trained to support prosecution witnesses and their families who have been called to court to give evidence.
Court Support Services
- is a voluntary organisation that provides support both before and during court proceedings in the Four Courts and at Tallaght District Court only.
- its volunteers offer emotional support to the witnesses by accompanying them into court and remaining with them throughout the duration of the trial
- its volunteers will arrange to meet the witnesses prior to the trial and take them on a ‘Pre-trial Visit
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.vsac.ie
Advic
Advic is national, non-profit registered charity which campaigns for greater rights for victims of homicide, their families and friends.
Advic
- brings together families bereaved by homicide including those affected by murder, manslaughter and fatal assault
- provides assistance and information to families via phone and email regarding issues they are faced with after the homicide, including referral to pertinent agencies; helps families to deal with the practicalities arising after a homicide
- advocates for changes in our criminal justice system
- helps families to survive the trauma of homicide by running a subsidised professional counselling service for families and friends of homicide victims
- helps families of homicide victims to access the voluntary assistance scheme run by the Bar Council
CONTACTS:
Website: https://advic.ie
One in Four
One in Four is a registered charity with offices in Dublin, Ireland, which offers support for women and men who have experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual violence and also to their family and friends.
One in Four
- exists to give voice to the experience of people who have experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual violence
- actively seeks and welcomes at all levels of the organisation's work the involvement of people who have experienced sexual violence
- provides a unique service to individuals and families through individual psychotherapy, group therapy, advocacy/support, and 24-hour support on online message boards; through campaigning, policy making, in-house research, training and consultancy work with statutory and non statutory agencies
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.oneinfour.ie
Irish Tourist Assistance Service
The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) is a free nationwide service offering support and assistance to tourists who become victims of crime while visiting Ireland.
The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS)
- acts as a base where problems facing the tourist in the aftermath of a crime can be addressed promptly, with a view to getting holiday plans back on track
- has trained staff and volunteers, who speak a variety of languages and provide assistance;
- provides brochures in all tourist offices
CONTACTS:
Website: https://itas.ie
CARI
The CARI Foundation is a registered charity founded in 1989 which primary aim is to provide a professional, child-centred therapy and counselling service to children, families, and groups who have been affected by child sexual abuse.
CARI
- aims to provide the most up to date education and information service for children, adults and professionals on the dynamics of child sexual abuse
- aims to raise public and political awareness of these issues
- aims to guarantee that they have in place sufficient resources nationwide to meet the demand that this increased awareness will promote provides Helpline where callers are able to explore concerns, feelings and fears regarding child sexual abuse in safety and anonymity
- provides therapy for children and young people whose lives have been disrupted by experiences, exposure to, or allegations of sexual violence
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.cari.ie/
AMEN
AMEN is a voluntary group, which provides a confidential helpline, a support service and information for male victims of domestic abuse.
AMEN
- provides advice, support and legal information to male victims of domestic abuse and their children
- has a Confidential Helpline
- organises support group meetings whose purpose is to rebuild each member so that he can take up his place in life, strengthened and enriched by the experience
- provides court accompaniment and counselling
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.mensaid.ie
Federation for Victim Assistance
The Federation for Victim Assistance has as main objective to provide emotional and practical support to victims of crime.
The Federation for Victim Assistance
- provides victim assistance at court and counselling
- provides assistance for tourist victims of crime
- helps with victim impact statements
CONTACTS:
Website: https://victimassistance.ie
Blue Blindfold.gov.ie
Ireland is a member of a European G6 Human Trafficking Initiative designed to ensure that the EU becomes more hostile environment for criminals engaged in the trafficking of human beings. The other five countries involved in the initiative are the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The campaign is designed to encourage the public to share any suspicions
Ireland is a member of a European G6 Human Trafficking Initiative designed to ensure that the EU becomes more hostile environment for criminals engaged in the trafficking of human beings. The other five countries involved in the initiative are the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The campaign is designed to encourage the public to share any suspicions or information on this crime with the Gardaí who will then investigate accordingly.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.blueblindfold.ie
Ruhama
Ruhama is a Dublin-based NGO which works on a national level with women affected by prostitution.
Ruhama is an NGO that works, on a national level, with women affected by prostitution including those who are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Ruhama provides a comprehensive range of services to women, tailoring interventions to individual needs. Ruhama provides a range of supports to allow women exit prostitution and reintegrate into mainstream society: including outreach, advocacy, counselling, safe accommodation, education (in-house and external), development/resettlement programmes, befriending, long-term support until woman becomes independent. Ruhama help women to access legal services, health care and housing. Victims of Trafficking have access to all services listed above.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.ruhama.ie
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