Debate contribution: Victims and Survivors’ Groups: Funding
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Victims and Survivors’ Groups: Funding
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5600478
Read the official Assembly record
Text
First, I thank all of the victims and survivors who have campaigned so hard for the inquiry and the redress scheme. Many of those people, as the Member has highlighted, are no longer with us and will not get the benefit of the scheme. Those who are will, and that is why the scheme is set up in the way that it is. It does not deal entirely with posthumous claims. It is too late for those who, sadly, have passed away to get payments in acknowledgement for what they suffered. Some of their family members will be able to apply for that acknowledgement payment. We carefully considered the issue in the Executive Office. We were advised about what happened in other jurisdictions. In the Republic of Ireland, for example, the posthumous date is 2021. We felt that that was not far enough back, so we went back to 2011, and we have been advised objectively by officials that that is the date on which a legitimate expectation could first have been raised. That is further back than any other jurisdiction, as far as I am aware. While it is, of course, a difficult issue, we have tried to be as generous as we can while prioritising, undoubtedly, those who have needs right now and ensuring that they get the most support possible.
223 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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