Debate contribution: Victims’ Payments Board: Oversight
Debate contribution by Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly on .
- MLA
- Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 5 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Victims’ Payments Board: Oversight
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5774156
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for raising that important case. I have no doubt that many Members across the Chamber listen to many of the people — victims and survivors — who are going through that process. Putting the scheme in place was the right thing to do. The sheer number of applications to the scheme — over 16,000 — demonstrates the huge and terrible legacy of the Troubles for the people of Northern Ireland and how many people have been impacted and are still traumatised. Of course, anything that is said in the course of such applications, including by the panel, should be trauma-informed, sensitive and understanding of the fact that, for many victims and survivors such as your constituent, it was probably one of the most traumatic and horrific things that happened to them. It is understandable that their memories are perhaps not so clear and that, certainly 50 years later, there may be challenges with that. I recognise that going through that process has been hugely traumatic for so many people across the community. That is why I am really pleased that, on the back of the Member's strong representations regarding the additional needs, with so many more people coming forward to victims and survivors groups, we have been able to find an additional £750,000 to go to victims and survivors groups in-year to provide that additional wrap-around support, particularly in relation to mental health.
237 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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