Troubles damaged lives of so many people and politicians must not drag feet over payments

I HOPE, by the time this letter is printed, that the matter of starting to make payments to the people whose lives were horribly damaged during the years of our Troubles will have been resolved.

During my time in public life, both working for the Peace People and as an Alliance politician, it was my privilege to meet and work with people whose lives were completely changed by their injuries.

But now, when their experiences and the results of their experiences have been recognised in law and compensation should begin, there is a disagreement over who should pay. Surely, this should have been agreed before the legislation was brought to Parliament and passed into law?

One would have thought that, in this particular instance, given the sensitivity and the necessity for justice, that not only the structures of the relevant department would be legislated for, but also how and by whom the payments should be made.

These are not handouts, but entitlements.

Our Troubles, we must remember, took place largely during a period of direct rule. One would think that the British government would have been big enough to admit that they should contribute to these payments.

I do know that the present time is a financially difficult situation for all, but these payments are a recognition of the horrors that these innocent people went through.

This is a part of the Troubles’ legacy that can be upheld and I hope it is agreed sooner rather than later.