Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Pensions victory for the victims of Troubles violence
Judge says Executive delay unlawful
MICHELLE O’neill has agreed to progress a compensation scheme for Troubles victims after a judge ruled an ongoing delay was unlawful.
The Deputy First Minister was criticised by a High Court judge for refusing to comply with a legislative requirement to set up the scheme to gain political leverage over the UK Government.
The joint legal challenge was brought by Jennifer Mcnern, who lost both legs in a Troubles bombing in 1972, and Brian Turley, one of the Hooded Men who were arrested and interrogated by the Army in 1971. The payment scheme is in limbo due to a dispute between Sinn Fein and the Government over eligibility criteria that are set to exclude anyone convicted of inflicting serious harm.
Sinn Fein claims the arrangement, which was legislated for at Westminster, would be discriminatory and could exclude thousands of republicans with convictions.
In a separate row, Sinn Fein and the DUP have jointly been at odds with the UK Government over who should pay for the scheme.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Mcalinden said Ms O’neill was the source of the blockage. He dismissed as “nonsense” the Executive Office’s contention that the court should not involve itself in what it claimed was a political dispute. Ms O’neill said she had “no alternative” than to nominate a department.
First Minister Arlene Foster tweeted: “This is a welcome judgment. Now time for Sinn Fein to prioritise innocent victims rather than bombers.”
Ms Mcnern said yesterday: “I should never have had to take this case.
“I and other members of the WAVE Injured Group have been campaigning for too many years and until recently on our own for recognition for the forgotten victims and survivors of the Troubles.”