Definition of Troubles victim compensation scheme ‘very restrictive’
By Rebecca Black, PA, Irish News, May 14th, 2025
Stormont has been challenged to devise a “more rounded” compensation scheme for those impacted by the Troubles.
Mr Justice McAlinden, president of the Victims’ Payment Board, described the definition of the current scheme as “very restrictive”.
He said he regrets that those who were bereaved in the Troubles are excluded from the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme.
However he also said he “utterly rejects” claims that going through the application process was “dehumanising, cruel, re-traumatising and ritual humiliation”.
“That’s not the scheme that I am administering, it’s not features of the scheme that I accept or that I consider are appropriate comments in the context of this scheme,” he said.
Appearing before the Stormont Executive Office committee Mr Justice McAlinden said it is a victim-centric scheme which tries to recognise the harm and hurt caused through the Troubles and provide financial support for those suffering from permanent disablement.
The committee heard that so far £90 million has been paid out by the scheme, which has been open for applications since 2021, and is set to close to new applications in August 2026.
Mr McAlinden said they have tried to extend the scheme.
“They are a section of those directly affected by the Troubles that are still left outside the scope of a bespoke scheme,” he said.
“A person is entitled to payments under the scheme if they suffer an inquiry which was caused by a Troubles-related incident when they are present at the Troubles-related incident or in the immediate aftermath.
“That is a very restrictive definition of entitlement... we’ve tried to extend that as far back as possible.
“What we are trying to do is stretch the boundaries of this limited scheme to ensure that the clear deficiency and deficit, the absence of a scheme bespoke for the bereaved, does not have a hard edged damaging impact as it otherwise would.”
Mr Justice McAlinden also described the issues with the scheme as a “microcosm” of the problems faced by Northern Ireland society as a whole.
Call for ‘more rounded’ scheme
He invited Stormont politicians to come together and develop a “more rounded' scheme”.
“The whole issue of victimhood is a divisive issue within our society, and it is so divisive that the local elected representatives were unable to agree a scheme that facilitated all views in terms of victimhood,” he said.
“So we had Westminster take up the baton and in essence, impose a scheme which I think no one is very happy with.
“We have quite a limited and narrow definition of a Troubles-related incident, and we have quite a limited and narrow definition of victimhood and we have the exclusion of the bereaved.
“Those are issues that locally this Executive, this Assembly could deal with if they could agree. If they could bring their heads together, they could reconstruct this scheme.”
He went on to say he fully appreciates that paying money to someone who was injured as a result of involvement in an act of violence themselves “retraumatises the innocent victims”.
He said it is a “really thorny issue” and challenged MLAs on the committee to use goodwill and their life experience to try to reach agreement.
Inability to acknowledge the past
He added: “This scheme is a microcosm of the problem that is societal.
“This scheme is a microcosm of the inability of people to recognise what went on in the past, recognise that there was fault on both sides, apologise and open up for the hurt and harm that they caused, and that’s where I am very strongly of the view that this whole legacy process is so one-sided, because we have the state that has to open up, and we have the paramilitaries that are basically keeping shtum.
“That is unacceptable, if you want to move forward, everyone has to open up, everyone has to open the book, and everyone has to apologise sincerely for the harm and hurt that they caused.
“Now that’s where this scheme attempts to give definition to the issue of reconciliation, because this scheme, even by its shortcomings, highlights the societal issues that we have to address as a society.”
Young people in North feel society still feel segregated
Mark Hennessy, Britain and Ireland Correspondent, Irish Times, May 15th, 2025
Groups want more funding for youth clubs and sports to create sustained contacts
Forty-eight young people aged between 15 and 25 were brought together in five groups by a Belfast-based think tank late last year to talk about the society they live in and the one they want.
The encounters, however, illustrate the road that Northern Ireland has yet to travel, marked by a lack of hope that things will change in their lifetimes and even caution about bringing about the very change that they say they want to see happen.
In conversations that took place in Belfast, Derry, Enniskillen and south Armagh in September and December, the groups gathered by the Pivotal think tank professed a striking sense of belonging to the local community where they live.
However, that sense of belonging partly illustrates Northern Ireland’s continuing wider divisions, since most of the young people themselves volunteered that they live in segregated communities.
Murals, flags and Peace Walls
In the rural areas focused on by Pivotal, this typically meant that the villages or towns where they live are still dominated by people from one religious background.
In Belfast, the divisions live cheek by jowl: “While people of different religious backgrounds lived there in closer proximity, they did not necessarily share spaces in an integrated way.”
Everyone, across the age group, understands the meanings of murals and flags, which are “widely understood” as ways to mark territory and intimidate outsiders.
In Belfast, the so-called “peace walls” are clear symbols of segregation that they want to see end, yet they have mixed feelings about taking them down. Instead, they suggested that the walls’ gates could be kept open for longer.
Some efforts to boost cross-community ties – such as “special days” at school – are little more than window dressing, the groups felt. Instead, they sought more funding for youth clubs, sports and other settings to create sustained contacts.
Grander initiatives
“Instead of lasting progress, many grander initiatives both within and outside schools that aim to bring together young people from different backgrounds are too irregular to make a difference.
“Leadership is required if young people are to believe integration can be a genuine aspiration for their generation,” said Pivotal, which issued a report earlier this year that looked at the consequences of segregated schooling.
The priority for some of those involved was for younger students who are just beginning primary school, rather than believing that anything can be done to greatly improve the level of cross-community ties in their own lives.
“In primary school, that’s where you make friends easier, that’s where you first meet people. That’s where you become friends with different people from different cultures and religions easier than you would in high school,” said a 15-year-old girl from south Armagh.
“Like, you’re young and once you get to know them, like, nothing really matters. You don’t really care about their religion or anything, you just are like friends.”
Some of the young people described their experiences of integration “as an action, rather than a state of being” filled with “temporary efforts” that they engaged in before returning to the background from which they came.
The groups brought together by the think tank believed that the North’s segregated school system “helps perpetuate division, with the mandatory teaching of religious education a particular concern for many”, said Pivotal.
“However, while there was significant support for integrated education, this was not universal – and it was not seen as a cure all for current social division.”
Our young people support greater integration... but doubt it'll happen
Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, May 15th, 2025
BREAKING DOWN OF BARRIERS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, YOUTH SURVEY INDICATES
Young people here want to break down community barriers, but don't expect it to happen, a new survey has suggested.
The wide-ranging youth research conducted by political think-tank Pivotal indicates young people remain keenly aware of the divisions in society, and while they want to see greater integration, many believe it is something for future generations rather than themselves.
Ann Watt, director of Pivotal, said the survey shows there is a clear consensus in favour of more integration and building understanding between different communities.
“This goes beyond the traditional sectarian divisions within local society, with young people very aware of the challenges facing ethnic minorities and newcomer families,” she said.
“However, there is a lack of confidence that significant changes will happen soon.
“The young people we spoke to feel that integration will ultimately be something for future generations.
“Much of what the young people had to say echoes the findings of our first report.
“This project highlights needs for leadership and a fresh vision of how a more integrated society could be achieved, and what more integration, mixing and sharing of resources could offer socially, economically and culturally.
“In terms of schooling, while there was quite broad support for integrated education, this was not the young people's top priority for change.
“Instead, they would like to see more investment in raising awareness of different cultures and religions, with a focus on learning together about the differences between communities.
‘Truly shared spaces’
“In the wider community, while many young people say they have taken part in cross-community events, including through schools, they were sceptical about whether these had any real legacy of change.
“Instead, they feel that more regular, local opportunities for mixing are what really break down barriers — spending sustained time with people from a different background and building friendships.
“This suggests that greater investment in local youth services as well as the creation of more truly shared spaces — and in the case of many rural areas — better public transport to access those spaces, could be the best way to make a difference right now.”
The report highlighted the extent of division still experienced in schools and communities, as well as the need for realism about what can be achieved when there are so many other competing priorities facing the Executive and communities themselves.
It suggests leadership is required if young people are to believe integration can be a realistic aspiration for their generation.
Our segregated school system, young people said, helps perpetuate division with the mandatory teaching of religious education a particular concern.
However, while there was significant support for integrated education, this was not universal — and it was not seen as a 'cure all' for current social division.
The challenges faced by children of different ethnicities were also highlighted.
Many participants had friends from other racial groups, and several had witnessed first-hand bullying that took place based on skin colour or cultural differences.
The religious nature of the education system was brought up as a barrier for young people from non-Christian backgrounds.
Pivotal's report was based on conversations with 48 young people aged 15-25 within five focus groups that took place between September and November in four regions.
DUP minister Paul Givan to ‘look again’ at funding for Irish language schools’ scheme
‘By Paul Ainsworth, Irish News, May 15th, 2025
Education minister Paul Givan has agreed to “look again” at funding options for an Irish language scheme involving over 80 primary schools that is facing the axe within weeks.
This is according to SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone who facilitated a meeting between the DUP minister and Gael Linn, the organisation running the hugely successful Scoil Spreagtha pilot scheme.
Currently operating in 82 schools, with another 80 schools on a waiting list to get involved, it supports primary pupils in learning and speaking Irish.
Despite its success and demand among schools, the scheme, funded by all-Ireland Irish language body Foras na Gaeilge, is set to end in June.
This is due to Foras na Gaeilge - which itself receives around three-quarters of its funding from Dublin, and around a quarter from Stormont - having been forced to make savings, initially of almost €818,000.
Last month Dublin announced a one-off €630,000 package for Foras na Gaeilge, which meant it could reverse the bulk of announced cuts, but is still facing a shortfall of around €190,000.
In April, the Irish News reported Mr Givan had made a u-turn on a decision not to meet with Gael Linn to discuss Scoil Spreagtha.
In a letter to the group in March, the minister declined a meeting, citing time constraints.
Mr Givan had last year faced criticism for meeting with members of the paramilitary-linked Loyalist Communities Council to discuss concerns over a new Irish language school in east Belfast, while earlier in the year declining to meet with Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge.
Mr Given agreed to the meeting with Gael Linn after an intervention by Mid Ulster SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone.
The meeting, involving Gael Linn CEO Réamonn Ó Ciaráin, took place on Tuesday, and he outlined the striking success of Scoil Spreagtha, which has seen around 15,000 primary pupils develop valuable second language skills.
When the pilot was launched in 2023, with a plan to work with 10 schools, over 130 expressed an interest.
Overwhelming demand
Gael Linn has never had a need to contact a school themselves about the scheme, due to the overwhelming demand.
Gael Linn educational policy manager Séamas Mac Eochaidh told the Irish News the meeting with Mr Givan was a “rich educational discussion” about the scheme.
“We appreciated the opportunity to highlight the educational benefit that the scheme has created, and how it can play a part of the minister’s vision for an educational system which is totally life-transforming, which narrows inequality, and one that allows a young person to achieve their full potential,” he said.
“We want to ensure that a child has the chance to make the most of their ability and become the best version of themselves, and we believe that teaching and learning a second language at the primary level is fundamental to the vision of the department.”
Mr Mac Eochaidh said Gael Linn commends the Department of Education’s “commitment to investing in and supporting high-quality professional development for teachers”, adding: “We would welcome any opportunity to collaborate with the department on that issue.”
The group also told the minister they were keen for their model to be utilised in teaching young pupils other languages, including Ulster Scots.
Huge benefits
Patsy McGlone explained: “I reached out personally to the minister to arrange this meeting and appreciate him engaging with us in good faith. While we received no firm commitments from the Minister today, he has agreed to look again at what funding options may be available and I hope he will recognise the huge value of the Scoil Spreagtha scheme.”
Mr McGlone, who is the SDLP’s Irish language spokesperson, praised Gael Linn for putting forward a “passionate and detailed case” for the continued funding of Scoil Spreagtha.
“We know the huge benefits that learning a secondary language brings in other subjects and it would be a real shame for young people to miss out on this,” he said.
“Schemes like Scoil Spreagtha are vital to the renewal and growth of the Irish language and the Executive and Education Minister have a duty to make Irish accessible to all who want to learn.”
In response last night a spokesman for the Department of Education said: “Following the meeting, the minister has agreed that officials will engage further with Gael Linn regarding the Scoil Spreagtha scheme.”
Army against possible edits to Legacy Act 'no surprise': veterans chief
Andrew Madden, Belfast Telegraph, April 15th, 2025
COMMISSIONER ACCEPTS ANGER THAT TROUBLES SOLDIERS COULD FACE COURT
The Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner has said he is “not surprised” by reports of serving soldiers voicing their opposition to potential changes to the controversial Legacy Act.
David Johnstone was speaking after signing a petition calling for a debate in Parliament urging the Government not to allow Army veterans of the Troubles to be prosecuted under the Legacy Act, which is facing changes.
Although Labour said it will axe parts of the Act — such as a controversial immunity provision for those involved in Troubles crimes — it intends to restore legacy inquests and civil cases.
The petition has also been supported by MPs from all three Northern Ireland unionist parties at Westminster.
Investigation into unauthorised Army social media
On Tuesday it emerged that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an investigation over an unauthorised social media post from the Army's largest infantry regiment condemning the Government's actions.
The Rifles regiment's X account posted a link to the petition set up by retired brigadier Ian Robert Liles, calling on the Government not to make any legislative changes that would allow Troubles veterans to be prosecuted.
Accompanying the post was the comment: “The Government is looking to repeal elements of the NI Troubles Act. This will mean that veterans can be reinvestigated despite having previously been cleared of any wrongdoings.
“So that a parliamentary debate can be held to correct this, we encourage you to click on the link and sign your name.”
The post has since been deleted and the MoD said it is investigating.
A similar post from the Fusiliers Regimental HQ account also shared the link, accompanied by the comment: “Army veterans recently launched a petition, objecting to Labour's 'Two Tier Justice' of pursuing Army Veterans.
“They need 100k signatures to get the subject debated. Can you help? Please sign and share!”
Andrew Fox, a retired Parachute Regiment Major, told the Daily Mail the authorised social media posts from the Rifles and Fusiliers hinted at a “mutiny” building within the Army.
‘Exercise in Democracy’
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner said it was not for him to comment on the posts in question, as he is focused on veterans issues, adding that what regular Army units do is outside his job description.
Mr Johnstone added: “All I will say is that the stories that have been appearing, I don't find surprising, because I think the Government is tone deaf to just how much this issue is exercising veterans. And clearly, by definition, also those that are currently serving, who maybe have relatives that are veterans, or who can put themselves in a similar situation as those that are currently being hauled before the courts.
“I know for a fact that many regular soldiers are asking themselves: 'If I make that split-second decision in the line of duty on an operation that I've been ordered to go on, am I, 30, 40, 50 years later, going to find myself in a court case being prosecuted? Because of a split-second decision that I made in a very complex engagement with enemy forces?'
“I think this highlights just the seriousness of the trajectory of opening up inquests and trying to relook at various things that happened during the Troubles through the lens of European Court of Human Rights legislation, and the lens of modern-day civilian law versus the law that soldiers operate under in Northern Ireland.”
Regarding the petition, Mr Johnstone said it's an “important exercise of democracy” that those “who are exercised by this issue have an opportunity to publicly register their concern around what is a very, very important issue for veterans”.
