Victims
The Agreement acknowledged the needs of the victims and survivors of the Troubles and accepted the necessity to address their suffering as an essential element of reconciliation.
Addressing these needs is a top priority for the Government and the Victims’ Minister, who has invested more than £20 million in victims’ initiatives since 1998.
This money has financed the implementation of the Bloomfield Report – ‘We Will Remember Them’ – commissioned in 1997 by the then Secretary of State, Mo Mowlam, and published in the spring of 1998.
It has supported a range of projects which have provided, among other things, for:
- financial support for victims’ groups;
- the establishment of a Memorial Fund which individuals can apply for help;
- the establishment of two trauma centres;
- an analysis of the needs of victims and survivors who live in GB; and
- the development and rolling out of a strategy to deliver practical help and services to victims and survivors.
Victims’ Minister David Hanson is in the process of developing the next phase of victims’ policies and has consulted with individual victims, victims’ groups, academics, experts and practitioners to understand more about the needs of victims and survivors and what more might be done to address the gaps in their needs.
The Prime Minister has also highlighted the need for Northern Ireland to find ways of dealing with the past which recognise the pain associated with it but which allows everyone to move forward to build a peaceful future.
For further information contact the Victims’ Unit, OFMDFM.
News Releases
- Publication of report of review into the MASRAM arrangements and the case of Aurthur McElhill Tuesday 1 July 2008
- Woodward attends Somme commerations Tuesday 1 July 2008
- Goggins welcomes Community Restorative Justice Ireland pre accredition report Friday 27 June 2008
Publications
- Political representatives' guide to domestic violence and abuse PDF Document, 137 KB
- Equality Impact Assessment - Policy on the arrangements for the delivery of support services to victims of crime (core funding of Victims Support NI) PDF Document, 86 KB
- Developing a Workplace Policy on Domestic Violence and Abuse - Guidance for Employers PDF Document, 766 KB
- Show all related publications
