RUC Pay-off 'Too Much For Sinn Fein'

Former RUC members have been 'on a policing gravy train' - that's according to the Sinn Fein Spokesperson on Policing, Alex Maskey.

Commenting on the release of figures showing over £500m was spent funding the Patten redundancy package for former RUC members, he said: "There is a widely held perception within the nationalist community that many former members of the RUC are on little more than a 'gravy train' when it comes to claiming money from the public purse.

"This is completely unacceptable, particularly when contrasted with the treatment received by many victims of the RUC.

"In our view the amount of money handed to these individuals has been exorbitant and unnecessary," the NI Policing Board member said.

The DUP MP for North Antrim, Ian Paisley has also responded to the news: "£500m is the cost of removing hundreds of very experienced Protestant officers and recruiting 1,900 Roman Catholic officers," said the NI Policing Board member.

"Removing all the years of experience and service that former RUC officers had was a costly exercise in terms of the overall standard of policing.

"Half a billion pounds was the cost of anti-RUC discrimination, whereby under the terms of the Patten Report many of our most experienced and qualified officers left the service," he commented.

However, he concluded: "The people owe the RUC an immense debt of gratitude for their service and dedication and nobody would begrudge any officer the severance package they received."

Another Board member, Ulster Unionist, Basil McCrea said the payments were necessary.

"The reason why the terms had to be so generous is because you had a significant number of people who had given a large amount of service and duty to the people of Northern Ireland and they were asked - not entirely to their liking - that some of you will have to stand down as other people have to come in."

Joining the debate, the Stormont Justice Minister David Ford has said the Patten redundancy scheme for police officers was designed to allow them to leave with dignity and reasonable payment.

Noting that the scheme was part of the Good Friday Agreement and was aimed at increasing the number of Catholics in the police, Mr Ford said it was thought necessary at the time to reform the police.

"Patten saw the significant redundancy packages as a major part of changing the nature of the RUC into the PSNI," he said.

"Changing the personnel, introducing the new members by allowing if possible those who had served during the difficult days to leave with dignity and reasonable payment.

"I think some of the people who are complaining about the scale of the payments are those who are demanding the swiftest action on changing the personnel of the police service, so I don't think they can have it both ways."

Today, there are just over 7,000 police officers in Northern Ireland, and almost 30% are now Catholics, compared to just 8% of members of the RUC.

The deal negotiated by Mr Patten amounted to what is regarded as one of the most generous redundancy packages ever offered anywhere in the world - and up to the end of November last year, Patten payments totalled almost £475m.

Delivering

In counterpoint to his party colleagues' sniping, the Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said that the Executive is 'delivering for the people' and that it will continue to build on its achievements since 2007.

Mr McGuinness was addressing delegates at a conference on the economy, organised by the voluntary scctor body, NICVA.

While recognising the impact the current economic difficulties were having on many people, the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister said that the NI Executive would continue to play its part in ensuring a better and more peaceful society for all.

He said: "The institutions are based on political agreement that sought to ensure inclusion and joint working. It was always recognised that this Assembly term would be difficult but we knew the price of failure was unimaginable."

In conclusion the life-long republican activist said that while he realised that there was still some way to go, he believed that the Executive had done much to progress its aim of a peaceful, fair and stable society.

(BMcC/GK)