THE casualties of the troubles in Northern Ireland yesterday welcomed the appointment of a ''Minister for Victims''. Mr Adam Ingram, the province's Security Minister, is to take on a new Ministerial responsibility as ''listening ear'' for the thousands of victims of 30 years of sectarian violence.
He will be charged with overseeing progress in implementing recommendations in a report, Victims of violence, we will remember them, published yesterday and produced by Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, the former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam said: ''There have been too many victims. We must do all we can to care for those who remain. That is why Sir Kenneth's report is so important.''
Sir Kenneth said 3600 people had died and some 40,000 had been injured through terrorist acts, adding that the victims were not just those who had been killed and injured, but also their families.
During his six months as commissioner for victims, he spoke to hundreds who had suffered. ''I became increasingly conscious that the voice of the victims had not to this point been heard with sufficient clarity,'' he said.
''At this most significant time in the life of our society, it is of the utmost importance that the sufferings of the last 30 years should not be forgotten, that those who need help should be afforded it, that the children of victims should be a particular concern, and that we should learn about and reflect upon these terrible experiences in building a better future for us all.''
In a clear message to the IRA, Sir Kenneth urged them to reveal where the secret graves of the ''disappeared'' were located. He said: ''Common humanity cries out for this modest act of mercy.''
Mr Ingram, MP for East Kilbride, picked up on those comments when he said it was not just the Government which needed to act. He also urged the IRA to identify their victims' graves so they could rest in peace. He said they should put an end to threats that prevented the displaced returning to their homes, and stop the paramilitary shootings and beatings to ''remove an immediate hurt from society''.
Mr Ingram said it was important everyone should listen to the message of the victims and the wider community who wanted ''a different and better future for their children, grandchildren, and future generations''.
Mr Glyn Roberts, development officer of Families Against Intimidation and Terror, said the anti-terrorist group was delighted the Government had appointed Mr Ingram. He added: ''FAIT has campaigned for many years for such an appointment and we believe Adam Ingram is the right man for the job.'' Mr Brendan Bradley, of the Survivors of Trauma group, said: ''It is a step in the right direction and we applaud that.''
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern described the report as ''a valuable public service''. He said Dublin would consult widely on the conclusions reached by Sir Kenneth before making ''a significant financial contribution''.
Ms Mowlam said the Government was committed to helping victims in both financial and policy terms, describing the #5m for victims announced by the Prime Minister last week as ''just a down payment''.
Sir Kenneth made a raft of recommendations to the Government, including the health service giving a greater priority to the treatment of pain and trauma, and urging public authorities dealing in any way with the concerns of victims to re-examine procedures and practices on a more personal level.
An ombudsman for victims or a standing commission for the protection of victims should be established to better address the problems of those who had suffered, he said.
At the same time, in the interests of giving victims an effective champion, existing organisations required more secure funding. His report warned the Government it should not forget the victims while providing resources to re-integrate prisoners into normal society.
The report said there should be a comprehensive review of the ''fitness for purpose'' of criminal injuries compensation, and consideration should be given to the creation of a fund to assist, in particular, children and young people affected by the death or injury of a parent.
The churches could play their part by designating a special day each year to remember victims.
In a foreword to the report, Sir Kenneth said his six-month task had been harrowing and had changed his life, but also had given him hope for the future.
''In more than 45 years of public service, I have never been asked to undertake a task of such human sensitivity,'' he said.
''The letters I have read and the stories I have heard in carrying out the work of the commission will be burned into my memory for ever.''
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