$71 MILLION FOR NORTH’S VICTIMS ANNOUNCED
IAIS
08/06/08
Details have been announced of a GBP£36 million ($71.5m) package to help victims of Northern Ireland’s Troubles.
The proposals represent a blueprint for how the Stormont administration intends to deal with the sensitive and contentious issue in the future.
It will see victims and survivors issues dealt with by three bodies - a Victims Commission, a Victims Forum and a Victims Service.
The draft proposals have already been discussed at committee level at Stormont and will now go out for a 12-week public consultation.
DUP Junior Minister Jeffrey Donaldson unveiled the strategy with his colleague, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly.
It is our desire to ensure that everyone who needs help and support gets and receives that support. That is why we are proposing the establishment of a new victim’s service so that there is one point of contact, Mr Donaldson said.
Mr Kelly is also optimistic that victims will be provided with a good service.
The commissioners are set up, they have been working very hard and once we get the forum, the victims and survivors forum set up and indeed the victims and survivors service set up, then it will be a full fledged, organised and comprehensive approach to the issue of victims and survivors.
The consultation period will run for three months and anyone with a view can express it by contacting the victims unit in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister.
