27/10/2005

Extra funding made available for victims of 'Troubles'

An additional £1.5 million has been made available by the Government for victims of Northern Ireland's 'Troubles'.

Secretary of State, Peter Hain, said the funding, which will be made available to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund (NIMF), would go towards promoting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland by supporting victims and survivors of the 'Troubles'.

The news comes just a few days after the Government appointed Bertha McDougall to the post of Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles.

“The extra Government funding I am announcing today underlines our continuing commitment to the victims and survivors of the Troubles and will enable the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund to continue its valuable work," Mr Hain said.

“Earlier this week I appointed Bertha McDougall to the post of Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors of the Troubles. Part of the Interim Commissioner’s remit will be to examine the existing funding arrangements in relation to services and grants paid to victims and survivors groups and to individual victims and survivors."

The NIMF - now an independent charity - was set up by Government in 1999 in response to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield’s Report ‘We Will Remember Them’. Its aim is to promote peace and reconciliation by supporting victims and survivors of the Troubles.

(MB/SP)

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