DUP Member of the European Parliament, Jim Allister QC, has expressed his regret that in the extension of the European Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II) there is no separate measure for Victims. Mr. Allister believes that given that the programme is supposed to be designed to “address the legacy of the conflict”; victims are an obvious group that should be targeted for increased funding and support.

Speaking today, Jim Allister said, “In the context of addressing the legacy of the conflict there are no more deserving groups to be targeted for European funding than victims. There are thousands of innocent victims in Northern Ireland: injured and assaulted or robbed of family and friends by the murderous actions of evil terrorists during the so-called “Troubles”. These people are left to address the painful legacy of the conflict alone and unaided. They are not elevated or taken by the hand in the way that various prisoners groups have been by EU funding bodies.

This is a fundamentally unjust situation which I have highlighted many times to the various funding bodies such as SEUPB. In consultation prior to the extension of PEACE II, I argued for a separate funding measure for victims. After all, these groups have had to endure the indignity of seeing millions of pounds of European funding handed over to terrorist apologists; it is long past time victims got their fair share. Following successful DUP lobbying for the creation of a Victims Commissioner, victims issues have been pushed up the political agenda, this should be reflected in the structures of the PEACE programme.

It is a source of considerable disappointment therefore that there is no separate measure in the extended programme for providing funding for victims groups. We have specific measures for the funding of women, which I fully support, why don’t we have a measure for victims?”

Mr Allister also commented upon the increase of the budget for measure 2.7 which is designed to increase community infrastructure capacity by 1million euros.

“I am pleased to be able to report that after lobbying from me and other DUP colleagues, the budget for measure 2.7 has been increased by 1million euros. This is a welcome development and should be of special benefit to the Protestant community, if it is fairly distributed, as it is they who suffer most as a consequence of weak community infrastructure.