Compensation for IRA bomb victims step closer, says DUP

COMPENSATION for victims of IRA bombs that used Libyan-supplied Semtex has moved closer after secret talks in separate meetings between the Democratic Unionist Party and the new Tory minority Government.

The DUP said it had been given a commitment from Theresa May’s administration to take forward a campaign for compensation against Libyan authorities for thousands of victims.

Earlier this year, a cross-party committee of MPS said the Government should finance a compensation fund for the victims of IRA attacks, and pay in money this year.

Successive administrations were accused of “two decades of failure” to seek money from the North African country, letting down many bereaved and injured across the UK.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP chief whip who led the talks, said in a letter to one victim: “We have secured a commitment from the Government to convene a further meeting involving the relevant minister(s) to discuss how we might take the matter forward, including on the issue of frozen Libyan assets in the UK. The reason this matter is not explicitly mentioned in the agreement between the DUP and the Government is because we have not yet reached an agreed position or established legal basis for accessing Libyan assets.”

He added: “We remain committed to supporting the wider campaign by innocent victims to secure recompense and reparation from Libya and will seek to use our influence to secure a

‘This is a promising development which we hope will mean that justice may finally be done’

positive outcome.” Matthew Jury, managing partner at Mccue & Partners which represents some of the victims, said: “The DUP has assured us that the issue of compensation is very much on the agenda and that discussions on how to achieve a resolution will now be taken forward at a ministerial level.

“This is a promising development which we hope will mean that, after decades of being ignored by successive governments, justice may finally be done.”