£12,000 payout if someone was killed in the troubles ???????

orangeman · January 23, 2009, 04:40:20 PM

Troubles victims' payment planned
By Vincent Kearney
Home affairs correspondent

The government will be asked to compensate families
The government is to be asked to pay £12,000 to the families of all those killed during the Troubles - including members of paramilitary groups.

The families of paramilitary victims, members of the security forces and civilians who were killed will all be entitled to the same amount.

The payment is expected to be recommended by the group set up to advise on how to deal with the past.

The Consultative Group on the Past is to publish its report next week.

"As yet, I have not seen a copy of the group's recommendations but media reports on the issue are both disappointing and disturbing," said Northern Ireland's first minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson.

"The DUP has consistently opposed any equation between the perpetrator of crimes during the Troubles and the innocent victim.

"Terrorists died carrying out their evil and wicked deeds while innocent men, women and children were wiped out by merciless gangsters."

The SDLP's Alex Attwood said: "What has been reported today may be true or may be malicious but until we know, people should reserve judgement."

If the recommendation is accepted by the government, the cost would be an estimated £40m.

The group, co-chaired by Lord Eames and Denis Bradley, is expected to say there should be no hierarchy of victims and that everyone should be treated in the same way.

That would mean the family of the IRA Shankill bomber Thomas Begley would receive the same for his death as those of the families of the nine civilians he killed.

Likewise, the families of two UVF members killed while they planted a bomb that also killed three members of the Miami Showband in 1975 will be entitled to the same payment as those of the victims.

The Consultative Group on the Past is also expected to recommend the creation of a five year legacy commission, appointed by the British and Irish governments, to deal with the past - and to say there should be no further public inquiries.

The total cost of the proposals would be £300m, and the Irish government will be asked to make a significant contribution.

More than 3,000 people died during the Northern Ireland Troubles and the group was set up to find ways forward in dealing with that legacy.

Minder · January 23, 2009, 05:32:06 PM

They have been spending their time productively if this is the kind of shite they are coming up with. Not totally surprising though in todays society.

The Watcher Pat · January 23, 2009, 06:15:39 PM

Quote from: Minder on January 23, 2009, 05:32:06 PM
They have been spending their time productively if this is the kind of shite they are coming up with. Not totally surprising though in todays society.

Some people have lose innocent family members in the troubles. Even though it will never bring their loved ones back they probably are deserving of this money..

Minder · January 23, 2009, 07:28:27 PM

Do you think the gangsters that were killed on both sides are deserving of a payout too Pat ?

Tony Baloney · January 23, 2009, 07:34:59 PM

Quote from: Minder on January 23, 2009, 07:28:27 PM
Do you think the terrorists that were killed on both sides are deserving of a payout too Pat ?

Where is the money coming from? Victimhood is a runaway train now. There is talk of yet another forum being setup for reconciliation which seems to be doing the same job as the victims commission. People's misery is a right old earner in "post conflict" Norn Iron.

In response to your question Minder - should they f**k!

cville · January 23, 2009, 08:05:13 PM

It's a feckin recipe for disaster - who get's the money? The wife, the kids, the parents, the partner .. etc etc .. how do you begin to trace the next-of-kin for people killed in the early 1970s .. it is a farce .. add into that - say .. Begley the Shankill Road bomber or the butcher Lennie Murphy .. there will be an awful lot of people pished of at this .. ps the NIO money was considered to be derisoy .. but Jesus this will cause some row... I was nearly shot - bullet hit a wall 20 yards away .. can I claim...?

pintsofguinness · January 23, 2009, 08:07:34 PM

Anything but the truth!!

ardmhachaabu · January 23, 2009, 08:12:27 PM

Quote from: Take Your Points on January 23, 2009, 07:44:46 PM
Just an enquiry, not making a judgement.............

Didn't the relatives of every victim already receive compensation from NIO?

Yes!

ardmhachaabu · January 23, 2009, 08:47:22 PM

TYP, as an Armagh man I am ashamed to see that Jarlath participated in that farce.

Minder · January 23, 2009, 09:00:04 PM

Times Online

The group's report will also recommend the establishment of a Legacy Commission, chaired by an international figure, with two deputies, which would run for five years at a cost of £160 million.

This commission would continue investigations into murders from the Troubles with a view to securing prosecutions, replacing the historic cases work carried out by the Police Ombudsman and the police Historic Inquiries Team (HET).

Where relatives were willing to waive the chance of prosecution an 'Information Recovery Process' would use contacts in the security forces and paramilitary groups to retrieve information on killings.

The commission would also oversee what it calls 'Thematic Studies' to examine issues including allegations of collusion between the security forces and terrorist groups.

A 'Reconciliation Forum' would be given the role of healing divisions, while sectarianism would be tackled and social problems such as addiction, made worse by the Troubles, could be targeted.

A £100 million 'bursary' would fund projects aimed at dealing with these 'legacy' issues.

WTF?

TacadoirArdMhacha · January 23, 2009, 11:43:52 PM

Can't see the point of this at all but if it is to happen it should be for everybody or nobody.

Tony Baloney · January 24, 2009, 12:44:14 AM

Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on January 23, 2009, 11:43:52 PM
Can't see the point of this at all but if it is to happen it should be for everybody or nobody.

Why?

Who is more deserving, the family of some innocent fella waiting for the work van in the morning or the family of the fella that lifts and tortures the innocent man waiting for the work van who subsequently gets wasted in an internal gangster feud over drugs?

It's sickening but it sums up Northern Ireland where there is a queue round the block for a place at the trough of eu and government cash.

el_cuervo_fc · January 24, 2009, 08:25:50 AM

according to the BBC this morning the unionists have all voted against it anyway

Minder · January 24, 2009, 08:56:45 AM

Regardless of whether the proposals are acted on you have to ask what is the point of this group, at a cost of millions to the tax payer. There are enough "conflict resolution" handouts in Northern Ireland at present.

longrunsthefox · January 24, 2009, 12:32:12 PM

While everyone was a product of the conflict here not sure that some like Lennie Murhy were not psycopaths hiding behind it. Anyway it is not them is getting the money, is their relatives who suffered the grief. Having said that is typical of mindset this society and £££s as the answer to everything. Should be a wall like the one for USA soiders with EVERY name on it and no hierarchy of victims but some twist would probably deface it. Put the money into health service or charity or something.