Doug Beattie: use Stormont underspend to pay victims pension

Doug Beattie has asked whether the Executive Office (TEO) and Finance Minister Conor Murphy have checked if the UK Treasury would permit any unused funds to cover the initial cost of implementing the Troubles Related Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal ruled that TEO is under a legal duty to fund the payment scheme.

In August last year the High Court held that TEO deliberately stymied introduction of the scheme in a bid to force the UK government into footing the bill.

Upper Bann MLA Mr Beattie said questions still remain as the countdown to the four-week consultation on finding a solution begins.

“As things stand it is likely... Conor Murphy MLA will return unspent monies to the UK Treasury at the end of the financial year. This underspend could easily cover the initial cost of the disablement payment scheme if it is allowed to be carried over to the next financial year,” he said.

“So, the question is this – has the Executive Office and the finance minister written to the UK Treasury to ask for this underspend to be used in part for this reason – an approximate amount of about £28 million? If they have not, then why have they not?” Mr Beattie added.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called on ministers and other political leaders to work together to deliver the victims pension.

The Foyle MP said: “There could hardly be a more stark visualisation of political failure than the sight of victims and survivors forced to go to court to demand a pension that every political party on these islands agrees they should have. And yet we continue to force that on people who have lived with emotional, psychological and physical distress for decades. It needs to stop now.

“The Court of Appeal has confirmed that a legal obligation now exists, where a moral obligation always existed, on the Executive to fund the victims pension. The four week timeline that the court has placed on the Executive should focus minds on the work that needs to be done.”

Mr Eastwood added: “People will not understand how the British government and the Executive can make huge sums of money available over the last 12 months but are arguing over the bill for this important scheme. The Secretary of State needs to accept that this scheme, legislated at Westminster, needs additional funding.”

• Applications for the new Victims’ Payment Scheme were due to commence on May 29, 2020 but the rollout has been delayed indefinitely amidst a row over both the eligibility criteria and whether London or Stormont will pay the £100 million required.

Under the current criteria, anyone with a terrorist conviction can still apply, but their application will have to be considered by an independent panel.