Government announce new Victims’ and Survivors’ Commissioner for NI

The Government has confirmed it is to put in a place a new Victims’ and Survivors’ Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

Speaking on Tuesday, Secretary of State Paul Murphy said he believed such a role was necessary in order “to ensure a real focus on the needs of victims and survivors of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and to ensure that their voices continue to be heard and respected”.

“The Government recognises that there is a need to address in a systematic way all of the unresolved deaths in Northern Ireland’s recent troubled past,” Mr Murphy said.

“We need to consider carefully and collectively how best to deal sensitively with the needs and expectations of all sections of the community in dealing with the legacy of the past. The creation of a Victims’ and Survivors’ Commissioner is intended as a major contribution to that work,” he added.

Mr Murphy also launched a consultation paper on the future of victims’ and survivors’ services for those victims, which includes the Government’s initial proposals for the Commissioner’s detailed remit.

The document document sets out proposals for a comprehensive approach to the provision of services, with the Commissioner playing a “pivotal role” in ensuring effective service delivery and in promoting the interests of all those who have suffered as a result of the ‘Troubles’.

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