Dublin bomb victim: I’d rather live in pain than take the Troubles pension

Shrapnel from one of the 1974 Dublin/Monaghan bombs remains trapped in Edward O’Neill’s body – and he still suffers pain more than four decades on – but he is adamant he will never accept a penny if it meant the bombers could also benefit.

Mr O’Neill was speaking out in response to a new report from Victims’ Commissioner Judith Thompson which makes a number of proposals to assist the “most severely and permanently afflicted” by acts of terrorism.

Her recommendations are based on the existing definition of a victim that doesn’t distinguish between innocent victims and the terrorist perpetrators.

The coordinated attacks in Dublin and Monaghan on May 17, 1974 killed 33 people and an unborn child. No one has ever been convicted of involvement in the most deadly atrocity of the Troubles.

Mr O’Neill said that although he struggles to pay his medical expenses, he is disgusted at the thought of a pension across the board.

“I would rather walk around in pain for the rest of my life than take money under those circumstances,” he said.

“It’s just wrong. You can’t tell me that Sean Kelly the Shankill Road bomber has the right to access a pension. That is just an insult.

“I didn’t go around planting bombs and shooting people. Somebody like me had what some people might call the perfect excuse to become a terrorist.

“My father was murdered, my sister was murdered and I was injured, but I chose to become a productive member of society. I chose not to go out and kill.”

Mr O’Neill added: “The Victims and Survivors Service in Belfast have been very good to me, and I am so grateful, but the government down here just doesn’t want to know.

“So I have an organisation which is not even in this jurisdiction paying my medical bills.

“I would never choose to intentionally hurt people. If they did and ended up hurting themselves then who cares?”

Ms Thompson said: “Whilst I acknowledge that there are sensitivities around eligibility for a pension, I am also very conscious that we have broad political agreement that this needs to be done for these people. We have a clear moral imperative to do it and there needs to be implementation now.”

Other victims of terrorism from across the UK and Ireland have also been outraged at the prospect of the Troubles pension for all.

Former UDR soldier Noel Downey had a leg blown off as he got into his car in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh in 1990.

He said he could never accept a pension if the price to pay was having his would-be killer afforded victim status.

“I would view such a pension payment as ‘dirty money’ and wouldn’t take it. It’s just not right,” he said.

“It is ridiculous and sick. Where else only in Northern Ireland would something like this happen. How it was allowed to get this far I don’t know. All of the genuine victims I’ve spoken to are disgusted with it. Victims have been trampled on all over the place and this is just one step too far,” Mr Downey added.

Gary Murray, whose teenage sister Leanne was murdered in the Shankill bomb, said the issue of a pension can be progressed when the ‘definition’ question is properly addressed.

“They need to sort out the definition of a victim, to define a victim from a perpetrator. If this goes through, it means my sister’s murderer is going to get a pension for his injuries.

“I don’t want that happening at all,” he told BBC’s Talkback programme.

Matthew Jury, who represents families bereaved by the 1982 Hyde Park bombing, tweeted: “Terrorists in Northern Ireland willingly and actively engaged in violence. Their victims did not.

“The degree of civilisation in our society should be judged by how we treat our victims and veterans.”