Allister meets with Fermanagh victims
01 May 2009
First published: 29/04/09
Jim Allister MEP has paid a visit to South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), at its offices in Lisnaskea. SEFF has seen its membership grow to over 600 victims and their families in recent years, such has been the group’s success. The Foundation provides a wide variety of services to victims of the Troubles, including assistance with trauma, benefits advice and a befriending service, as well as the opportunity of victims to meet together, and to learn new skills.
The MEP said of his visit,
“I welcomed the opportunity to visit with SEFF, which is providing an essential service for victims and their families in the South East Fermanagh area. I congratulate SEFF on their forward looking Peace funding applications, which if successful, would go some way in providing much needed professional support services for victims. I have been extremely critical of the manner in which Peace III funding has been allocated to date, with ‘ex-prisoners’ seemingly having their needs prioritised over the very people they have injured. I have raised these concerns with the SEUPB funding body.”
“I also spoke at some length to members of SEFF in relation to the ongoing threat of republican violence within Fermanagh. The lack of effective policing capacity to deal with this threat is extremely alarming, and something which I know concerns many ex-members of the security forces living within Fermanagh.”
“I was interested to learn about a project which is being rolled out by ex-members of the security forces in Fermanagh, which involves telling their stories of the Troubles. Sadly, Sinn Fein/IRA propaganda has sought to silence the voices of victims who were targeted by their evil campaign. Without doubt, the role which members of our security forces played during the troubles in defending life and property in the face of IRA terror has to be acknowledged publicly, and in a way which recognises the high cost which so many had to pay. While this may be an inconvenient truth to some, I fully support those victims who want the truth to be heard.”
ENDS
