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Making immediate compensation payments to victims of the North’s Troubles is a \u201cmoral imperative\u201d, a senior politician has said.<\/p>\nMaking immediate compensation payments to victims of the North’s Troubles is a \u201cmoral imperative\u201d, a senior politician has said.<\/p>\n
The payments have been delayed amid a stand-off between Belfast and London over who pays the estimated \u00a3100 million cost.<\/p>\n
Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, has urged the two administrations to work together to ensure compensation payments to victims and survivors can begin immediately.<\/p>\n
There is a moral imperative for making these payments now<\/p>\n
The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme had been due to open on May 29 but no pension payments have yet been made.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland\u2019s First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill have said London should shoulder the cost.<\/p>\n
But NI Secretary Brandon Lewis has insisted Stormont should foot the bill.<\/p>\n
Mr Hoare has written to Mr Lewis urging that a resolution be found.<\/p>\n
He described the situation as \u201cdeeply regrettable\u201d, adding that victims \u201cshould not be made to endure further delay\u201d.<\/p>\n
In the letter, which Mrs Foster and Ms O\u2019Neill as well as the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak were copied into, Mr Hoare said many have \u201cwaited too long for compensation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a moral imperative for making these payments now,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictims and their families have waited too long for compensation, and many of them are elderly or in ill health.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have campaigned for many years to receive the recognition and redress due to them, and they believed that the matter had been settled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unacceptable that they should be made to endure further delay because of political and administrative disputes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government and the Northern Ireland Executive must fulfill their responsibility to victims without further delay. I urge you to convene meetings between HM Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to enable payments to be made at the soonest possible date, and to report the outcome of these meetings to the committee.\u201d<\/p>\n