The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice Spokesperson has voiced his frustration at the situation that has been allowed to develop whereby hungry children are being used as pawns in a row over victims’ pensions.
Doug Beattie MC MLA said:
“The Victims’ Pension should have been paid 26 days ago and the blame for the delay lies firmly at the feet of The Executive Office. It is for the Deputy First Minister to shoulder the blame.
“In addition to refusing to let innocent victims receive their long overdue pension, it seems that the Executive Office has reached an all-time low as it is now prepared to allow disadvantaged children to go hungry, and use them as a tool in an argument about the Victims’ Payment Scheme.
“This is utterly reprehensible, and this tit for tat approach to government is allowing victims and now disadvantaged children to suffer.
“Again I call on the Secretary of State to take the politics out of the Victims’ Pension Scheme and return the UK wide scheme to the Northern Ireland Office and administer it from London. This would not only resolve the victims’ pension issue but would also end the standoff on funding for free school meals, contained within the June monitoring round.”