The Five Demands

E’ stata definitivamente rigettata l’ipotesi di un risarcimento di 12.000 sterline alle vittime dei Troubles.
Il provvedimento era stato proposto dal Consultative Group on the Past nell’ambito della relazione su come affrontare l’eredità dei Troubles.
L’annuncio, dato dal Segretario di Stato Shaun Woodward, ha messo la parola fine su una controversia che aveva coinvolto tutti i partiti politici.
Il provvedimento infatti prevedeva l’erogazione di 12.000 sterline a tutte le vittime dei troubles sia che si trattasse di semplici civili, sia che si trattasse di membri di organizzazioni paramilitari.

£12,000 Troubles payment plan ditched (Belfast Telegraph)
The Government today firmly ruled out the controversial £12,000 payment proposal for the relatives of victims of the Troubles proposed by the Eames-Bradley team.
Secretary of State Shaun Woodward said he did not believe there was “remotely enough consensus” to proceed with the ‘recognition’ payouts as proposed by the Consultative Group on the Past in its report last month.
And he indicated that clearing the air over the one-off cash hand-out suggestion – which was heavily criticised by both unionists and Sinn Fein – would allow for a focus on the 30 other recommendations in the report on how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
The announcement came as the former Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Lord Robin Eames, and ex-Policing Board vice-chairman Denis Bradley prepared to meet the Northern Ireland Select Committee in Northern Ireland this afternoon.
Mr Woodward said he thought the idea of the payment mattered a great deal to some people but there was just not “remotely enough consensus” at the moment.
It was right that the Consultative Group on the Past had taken time to conduct its consultations and issue its report and also right that he had not responded immediately to its conclusions.
“It is equally right that I rule out the £12,000 payment idea because I just think it has failed to achieve the consensus,” he said.
First Minister Peter Robinson and Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey had both effectively torpedoed the proposal which also came under fire from some victims groups.
But then Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said his party regarded the £12,000 payment proposal as a “mistake”.
The payment was revealed in advance of the formal launch of the Eames/Bradley report which then drew protests from Protestant victims groups and lead to a storm of controversy.
But Lord Eames and Mr Bradley made clear it was not being suggested as ‘compensation’ for loved ones.
The Government-appointed Consultative Group on the Past called for a £12,000 payout for all families involved. What opponents to the proposal found hardest to swallow was the door this would open to public money going to relatives of notorious paramilitaries including Shankill butcher leader Lenny Murphy, the Shankill bomber Thomas Begley, LVF leader Billy Wright and INLA chief Dominic McGlinchey.
Those terrorist’s families would be in line to receive exactly the same amount of cash as members of the police and security forces who were killed in the line of duty — along with innocent men, women and children caught in the crossfire.
The reaction from politicians, victims and their families was fierce and swift. Mr Robinson branded the entire process a waste of time, saying: “We will be ensuring that the Government does not insult the innocent victims of terrorism by giving any weight to these offensive recommendations.”
Tension caused by the proposals boiled over when some protesters from both sides of the political spectrum clashed as Lord Eames and Mr Bradley officially launched their wide-ranging proposals at the Europa Hotel in Belfast last month.
The two men urged political parties to back their unprecedented proposals aimed at healing the sectarian wounds.