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Cabinet Officer Minister David Lidington has declined to rule out a statute of limitations for veterans who served in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\nCabinet Officer Minister David Lidington has declined to rule out a statute of limitations for veterans who served in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
Mr Lidington said ministers would have to think \u201cvery carefully\u201d about the amnesty issue, following the widespread rejection of the idea in a UK Government public consultation on mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.<\/p>\n
Asked by the PA if the outcome would now rule out a statute of limitations in the region, Mr Lidington said: \u201cI think it would be wrong for me to speculate when we have just seen today the publication of the actual responses.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly ministers are going to have to think very carefully about this sensitive issue, but I think everybody is agreed that we need a system for the future that is better than the one we have had up to now, at giving both a sense of closure to victims and survivors and also is seen by everybody as fair and just.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Lidington, the de facto deputy prime minister, indicated the scale of the response to the legacy consultation came as a surprise to the UK Government.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than 17,000 individuals and organisations responded, I think more than any of us expected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think it is right that the Government should take its time to think carefully about that very large number of responses and the different views expressed there, and then I expect it will be for the new prime minister and new government to decide on the way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
DUP leader Arlene Foster said the consultation responses demonstrated \u201cwide and varied\u201d opinions on how to deal with the past.<\/p>\n
She highlighted that the issues related to the definition of a victim was a common thread running through the consultation.<\/p>\n
The exercise reported \u201cmixed views\u201d from respondents on the controversial matter.<\/p>\n
That debate has long been the subject of contention, with strong feelings about whether a paramilitary who was injured or killed while committing an act of violence should be considered a victim, and be able to avail themselves of services or financial support.<\/p>\n
The consultation summary said views expressed were \u201csplit\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mrs Foster said: \u201cIt is immoral that the bombmaker is defined as a victim in the same way as the person who lost limbs in the bomb.<\/p>\n
\u201cA new United Kingdom definition of a victim would have a transformative impact on how we deal with the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother key concern for the DUP is that justice must always remain open to victims of terrorism.<\/p>\n
\u201cJustice must also be seen to be done. No-one who has done wrong should be able to stop looking over their shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst the opinions have now been garnered, the challenge is finding a way forward which ensures that history is not rewritten and those who took innocent life are held accountable, rather than the reputation of those who stood against terrorism being inaccurately tarnished.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in said the Government must stop \u201cstalling\u201d on implementing the mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Linda Dillon MLA said: \u201cWhat is required now is that the British Government urgently sets out a time frame to bring forward legislation for the legacy structures.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome families have been waiting almost 50 years on truth and justice. There can be no more stalling or protracted and unnecessary delays.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opportunity to deal with the past is now. The time to engage with the past is now.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny further delays or stalling from the British Government will only serve to undermine public confidence in the consultation, undermine the policy intent of the Stormont House Agreement and more worryingly, further disappoint and alienate victims.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said the legacy arrangements must be \u201cbalanced, fair, equitable and proportionate\u201d.<\/p>\n
He warned the process could not be about those who \u201cshout the loudest get their way\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not surprised that there is a lot of agreement that the present system for dealing with the past isn\u2019t working, but that does not mean we should accept a replacement solution that is so structurally flawed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to change the structural flaws, there must be a fundamental change to the SHA legacy proposals, which never enjoyed the support of the Ulster Unionist Party.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alliance party deputy leader Stephen Farry said the publication of the consultation should be a springboard towards final agreement on the Stormont House mechanisms.<\/p>\n
On the majority rejection of amnesty, Mr Farry added: \u201cIt is rightly recognized such an approach would undermine the contribution of all of those who served and protected the community in line with the rule of law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis stands in sharp contrast to the impression given in Westminster, which is in danger of badly skewing the debate and undermining the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis summary of the consultation should be used to end those destructive moves.\u201d<\/p>\n