Minister announces £1.5m 'Troubles' funding

Victims Minister Des Browne has announced funding of over £1.5 million towards victims and survivors of Northern Ireland's 'Troubles'.

The money will be taken from the Victims Strategy Implementation Fund and go towards numerous projects which work with sufferers of the conflict.

Among the projects which have been developed across government departments are:

• inter-agency educational support for post-primary pupils who are identified as victims of the conflict
• socio-vocational rehabilitation services for survivors of traumatic brain injury
• an advice and advocacy service for victims
• awareness raising training for Health and Social Services staff around the needs of victims and survivors

The Fund will also support work to organise, index and store material relating to the Omagh bomb to provide an easily accessible collection of material for use by victims and their families, academics, researchers and historians.

Announcing the allocation, Mr Browne said: “This £1.53m will support projects aimed at acknowledging and addressing the needs of those who have suffered most over more than thirty years of conflict.

“They tackle areas which victims themselves have told us are important, such as trauma services and trauma training, rehabilitation, advice and advocacy services and counselling in schools and demonstrate a committed co-ordinated approach by departments.

“Departments and agencies are developing a number of other projects and further allocations from The Strategy Implementation Fund will be announced over the coming months.”

The Strategy Implementation Fund was created to provide resources to allow government departments and agencies to deliver projects and services to benefit victims.

(MB)