• Pension for innocent victims should be included in talks process

• Secretary of State has already stepped in on devolved issues this year

Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“The issue of a pension for those who were physically injured during the troubles has been a bitter tale for many years.  It is thought that around 500 individuals would be eligible for financial support due to their troubles related injuries.  A number however, around 10, fall into the bracket of those who were injured by their own hand.  The reality is that there has still been no agreement between the political parties in respect to those who should be eligible for such a pension. 

“The Ulster Unionist Party has been very clear – we do not believe that terrorists who injured themselves should be given equivalence with those who they set out to kill or maim.  

“At a recent meeting between Alan McBride of WAVE and the Secretary of State to discuss pensions for those injured in the troubles, the Secretary of State said that this was a devolved issue.  That may be the case, but Policing and Justice is a devolved issue and yet the Secretary of State still plans to run a public consultation on legacy and he has also made interventions to strike a regional rate and produce an indicative budget this year.

“The Ulster Unionist Party has made repeated calls for the pension to be included within the talks.  This is an issue that will not go away and we owe it to those who would benefit most to find a satisfactory solution.  We should take the opportunity to resolve this as soon as possible so that a new Assembly and Executive could hit the ground running with legislation.   And if there is to be no new Executive due to Sinn Fein and DUP intransigence the Secretary of State must legislate on this issue to help those injured through no fault of their own.”