Victims of serial child abuser Malachy Finegan face ‘further harm’ because of fresh delays over settlement payments

25 Feb

STAFF REPORTER, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

FURTHER delays in paying settlements to people abused by Malachy Finegan and others will further harm victims, according to a solicitor for many of those who have taken High Court action against a Catholic diocese.

Dromore Diocese failed to meet a deadline to pay an agreed total settlement of just over £1m to victims of Finegan, the former principal of St Colman’s College in Newry and a prolific abuser of boys.

On Monday, the High Court suspended payment of compensation and any further pending cases after an application by the trustee of the diocese arguing clarification was needed over whether parish assets can be sold to cover the liabilities.

Finegan, who died in 2002, groomed and sexually abused boys while he taught and worked at St Colman’s College in Newry, Co Down and later when moved to parishes in the diocese.

Millions of pounds in damages have already been paid out in lawsuits mounted over failures to prevent him from targeting pupils.

In 2021 church authorities set up a redress scheme for survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy within the Diocese, with payments capped at £80,000.

Other steps have also been taken to liquidate or realise assets to help compensate claimants. Last year the sale of the Bishop’s House in Newry was completed, while the sale of associated land remains pending.

Claire McKeegan, solicitor for the five men awarded damages in September last year, said it is “deeply regrettable that further delay is being inflicted on these clients”.

Clock running against victims

“Cases will now take longer still to get to trial and ultimately for them to obtain justice for the abuse and torment that was perpetrated on them,” said Ms McKeegan of Phoenix Law.

“It is a matter of deep concern that they are being further harmed by the diocese now in its refusal to pay the claimants the compensation that they committed to pay in September 2025.”

In total, at the end of 2024 the Dromore Diocesan Trust had total assets, cash and investments of approximately £37.5m, the Irish News previously reported. However, most of the assets are under parish control, the diocese argues.

According to the diocese’s accounts, £2.4m was paid out in compensation and legal fees in 2024 and the ‘unrestricted’ central office, or curia, funds ended the year £4.9m in the red.

This and other debts led the diocese to report total funds, including assets, of just over £26m.

Overall, diocese within the north had total assets, investments and cash of approximately £400m, according to their latest accounts.

In his ruling, Mr Justice David Scoffield granted the request for a moratorium on a number of existing claims for damages already before the court.

Appeal for information on car bombing 36 years ago

REBECCA BLACK, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

A FRESH appeal for information has been made over the killing of a former police officer and his wife by a car bomb in 1990.

James Sefton (65) and his wife Ellen (66) were killed when a booby trap device exploded under their car in Belfast.

It happened on Wednesday, June 6 after the couple had left their home on Lyndhurst Gardens and driven towards Belfast city centre.

At approximately 10am, as they passed the old Forth River Primary School on Ballygomartin Road, the bomb exploded beneath their car.

Mr Sefton, who was driving, was fatally injured and died in the Mater Hospital.

Mrs Sefton was critically injured and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital. She died the following day.

The new appeal for information has been made by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) which is probing the murders at the request of the Sefton family.

Assistant commissioner Amanda Logan, who is leading the commission’s investigations team, said the family is seeking the truth around what happened.

She said even the smallest detail could help.

“It’s over 35 years since James and Ellen were killed,” she said.

“Their family is seeking the truth about what happened and we believe there is someone out there who may hold the vital piece of information that could make a difference to the investigation.

“Even the smallest detail could help us understand what happened and why.”

Ms Logan added that the suffering of the Sefton family was “representative of the pain of so many victims, survivors and families”.

“People are still suffering, deprived of information and with no accountability,” she said.

“Our job at the commission is to try to deliver answers for people who have been searching for them for decades.”

The witness appeal will involve distributing posters and an organised leaflet drop in the areas relating to the investigation.

Burrows says McDonald should apologise for tribute to IRA bomber

GABRIELLE SWAN, Belfast Telegraph, February 25th, 2026

Mary Lou McDonald should apologise for her “horrendous” tribute to IRA killer Brendan 'Bik' McFarlane, Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows has said.

The Sinn Fein president posted a tribute on social media marking a year since McFarlane's death on February 21.

He was given life for his part in the Bayardo Bar attack on the Shankill Road in 1975 that left five dead and 60 injured.

He attempted to escape the Maze Prison dressed as a priest in 1978, was officer in command of the IRA H-Block prisoners during the 1981 hunger strike, and was part of the mass breakout from the jail in 1983 in which 38 IRA inmates escaped.

Ms McDonald's post on X sparked outrage from unionists.

“One year ago, we lost our comrade Bik McFarlane. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom, unity, peace and equality,” she wrote.

“It was a life well lived, a life that shaped a legacy that will inspire generations to come.” At a press conference in Stormont yesterday, Mr Burrows said Ms McDonald should “absolutely” apologise.

“Five of our citizens were murdered that day, it wouldn't matter if they were Protestant or Catholic, that was a terrible atrocity,” he said.

“The Ulster Unionist Party have always stood for the rule of law. It was wrong to kill people in the name of loyalism and republicanism.

“Mary Lou McDonald should now show the example and apologise for her horrendous statement.”

Epstein

Mr Burrows also said the UUP is “following up” on claims paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein visited Northern Ireland during the disgraced Peter Mandelson's stint as Secretary of State from 1999 to 2001.

It comes after DUP MP Carla Lockhart claimed in the Commons he visited Hillsborough Castle “on at least one occasion” and called for a “full review of his activities while there”.

The Northern Ireland Office has said it is reviewing its records to discover whether Epstein visited the royal residence. Mr Burrows said: “We were the first to write to the Secretary of State to ask did Epstein visit Hillsborough Castle and we will be following up on that tomorrow.”

He also confirmed he will be in the White House next month for the St Patrick's Day celebrations. Sinn Fein has said it will not attend in protest at President Trump's policies in Gaza.

“Northern Ireland must take every opportunity to secure the very best outcomes for our people,” he said.

“We share a great deal with our American friends, not least through our economic ties, shared history and cultural links, and we must continue to actively promote Northern Ireland's interests on the international stage.

“I'll be selling our outstanding workforce, particularly in sectors like fintech, cyber security and I'll also be promoting Northern Ireland as somewhere to visit as a tourist destination.

“I'll also be promoting the case for the Union, because I believe it is in the interest of the West and our security that Northern Ireland is an intrinsic part of the United Kingdom.”

Mr Burrows also faced questions in relation to a 27% pay rise for MLAs, and said his party “respects the view of the independent body” that recommended the uplift.

The Independent Remuneration Board has proposed an uplift in salaries for MLAs from £53,000 to £67,200 per year from April 1. It also recommended “significant financial sanctions” if an Executive is not formed following an election, or if at any time the offices of first minister and deputy first minister become vacant following recent political turbulence.

The UUP leader said: “We've taken a responsible position because we as a party didn't put an input into the consultation. “We understand public concern, public anger in some parts, but here's the thing.

“We believe that Stormont has to up its game and our view is very clear, that anybody who collapses Stormont should actually get more punitive sanctions financially.

“We would have their pay taken entirely for the party that actually collapses Stormont and I understand, in short, performance in this place has not been good. It needs to improve.

“I understand that people think Stormont is not value for money. I believe the Ulster Unionist Party is value for money. That's why there's increased interest in our party.”

He added: “The principle here is this. There is an independent body for a reason and we need to respect the view of the independent body and that due process.

“And if that was in the future to not give increases, give increases that were below the rate of inflation, we will respect that too.

“We want to lift ourselves out of discussions about our own pay, leave them to an independent body.”

LETTERS: Irish News, February 25th, 2026

Nationalists should try to understand historical sense of hurt felt by unionists

I WAS a little disappointed by the Irish News editorial (February 18) responding to Jon Burrows’ suggestion that the Irish Republic apologise for their response to the Troubles, in particular their frequent refusal to extradite suspected killers.

I know Mr Burrows’ comparison with the Bloody Sunday apology has irked some, but can I appeal for nationalists to try to understand the historical sense of hurt felt by unionists when the killings of our community seemed not to be taken seriously in the Irish Republic.

For example, we had a guest from England staying with us on the Friday of the Teebane bomb in January 1992 and the tragic news took the gloss off our evening meal together. This was unfair on our guest, who did not appreciate how personal the murder of eight Protestant workmen felt to a working class unionist family.

Later in the evening, when the clip was played on television of our Secretary of State being cajoled on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show into singing ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’ after pressure from Gay Byrne, I found myself explaining to our puzzled guest why Peter Brooke had to be removed. (This despite him being a decent man who was already involved in laying the groundwork for the peace process.)

“ Those protesting that Jon Burrows is wrong or somehow outrageous will strengthen the feelings in the unionist community that the deaths from IRA violence are taken less seriously. The message that unionists are hearing today is ‘How dare you’

I understood the bewilderment of our English guest but there was no excuse for the tactlessness of Gay Byrne and the southern media. I felt a strong sense of outrage at their callous indifference to the murders suffered in Northern Ireland.

That sense of outrage is exactly what Jon Burrows of the UUP is tapping into when he suggests the Irish government apologises for their attitude to extradition. Those protesting that Jon Burrows is wrong or somehow outrageous will strengthen the feelings in the unionist community that the deaths from IRA violence are taken less seriously. The message that unionists are hearing today is ‘How dare you’.

Disgracefully, the Irish Republic accepted the outrageous idea that if a crime was ‘political’, in that it had a political motivation, then normal standards of justice should not apply and extradition should not take place.

Remember that the bombings of Dublin and Monaghan were ‘political’ offences under this criterion, but would anyone defend a refusal to pursue extradition and the criminal process in that case?

Memory is not always reliable but I remember several occasions where this was the cause of significant anger with the Republic during our Troubles. A quick Google search indicates 34 occasions when extradition was refused.

The value of historical apologies is often overstated. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry and apology has not assuaged the anger over that event.

The same will apply to the various murders suffered by the Protestant community. An apology will not solve much, but let’s not add fuel to the fire by pretending that the Republic has nothing to apologise for.

ARNOLD CARTON Belfast BT6

RTÉ reporter says spying had ‘chilling effect’ on media

CONNLA YOUNG, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

Tribunal set to consider PSNI and MI5 surveillance during reporter’s time as BBC correspondent

A POWERFUL spy tribunal is set to hear the case of a prominent RTÉ journalist who was illegally spied on by MI5.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) will consider Vincent Kearney’s case when it sits in London today. The tribunal looks at complaints from people who believe they have been the victim of unlawful covert surveillance.

The hearings, some of which will take place behind closed doors, are expected to last several days.

It emerged during an IPT hearing last year that MI5, which operates from a complex at Holywood, Co Down, unlawfully obtained communications data from Mr Kearney’s phone on two occasions in 2006 and 2009.

At the time he was working for the BBC in Belfast.

One of the north’s best known journalists, Mr Kearney was appointed home affairs correspondent at the BBC in Belfast in April 2006 and is currently Northern Editor with RTÉ.

He previously worked with the BBC Spotlight programme and as a producer.

It was previously reported the PSNI may have attempted to identify sources of information for a Spotlight programme about the Police Ombudsman’s Office in 2011, which was presented by Mr Kearney.

While MI5 has already admitted illegally obtaining data from Mr Kearney, it is expected the IPT will also consider the PSNI’s role.

Details of state surveillance on Mr Kearney came to light as part of IPT proceedings involving two other Belfast journalists, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, in 2024.

The tribunal later found that the PSNI and Metropolitan Police acted illegally by spying on both journalists to identify their sources.

Last year a review carried out by London based barrister Angus McCullough KC revealed the PSNI carried out two identified ‘defensive operations’ involving hundreds of journalists between 2011 and 2024.

The review also confirmed 21 unlawful uses of covert powers to identify journalists’ sources.

Eight journalists were also subject to unlawful use of powers to identify their sources, while some lawyers were also placed under unlawful surveillance.

Speaking to the Irish News in December Stormont justice minister Naomi Long said she was “curious” as to whether she was also a victim of state surveillance.

Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International said the human rights group expects the Kearney case to “reveal more about the true scale of surveillance of journalists by police and MI5 in Northern Ireland”.

‘Systemic abuse of surveillance powers’

“It has already been established in a preliminary hearing that MI5 broke the law by accessing Vincent Kearney’s telephone records in 2006 and 2009,” he said.

“A finding that raises serious questions about the systemic abuse of surveillance powers.

“Now the Tribunal must uncover the full truth of the wider pattern of covert and unlawful surveillance of reporters by the police and the security service.”

Mr Corrigan said journalists have a right to protect their sources.

“A journalist’s right to protect their sources is the bedrock of a free and fearless press and central to the public’s right to know. Without it investigative journalism cannot function,” he said.

“What is ultimately required is full transparency, genuine legal accountability, and a decisive end to unlawful spying on the media.”

Mr Kearney said: “This case has established that I was the target of a systematic and yearslong pattern of law enforcement agencies illegally accessing my journalistic sources and mapping my professional activity. I was treated as a suspect rather than a journalist.

“The concessions made reveal repeated and consistent illegality on the part of multiple public authorities over a period of many years. This was taking place on an almost annual basis between 2006 and 2014 while I worked as a correspondent for BBC Northern Ireland.

“This has had a chilling effect on my ability to conduct public interest journalism with source relationships damaged and, in some cases, destroyed.

“The unlawful activities of those charged with upholding the law have irrevocably damaged my ability to perform my lawful duties as a journalist. Those responsible must be held to account and mechanisms put in place to ensure this kind of activity cannot be repeated.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the BBC said: “The extent and effect of unlawful interference in Vincent Kearney’s work as a BBC journalist is a matter of serious concern.

“It strikes at the heart of the protections that are in place for public interest journalism. What happened in this instance was wrong and must never be repeated.

“The independence of what we do is hard won and it’s something that we will fight to protect – reflecting the vital role that public interest journalism plays in a free society.”

Reform MP Kruger set to speak at TUV conference in Cookstown

SUZANNE BREEN, POLITICAL EDITOR, Belfast Telegraph, February 25th, 2026

ALLISTER WELCOMES VISIT, BUT SOME IN PARTY CRITICAL OF FARAGE ALLIANCE

Reform UK MP Danny Kruger will be the guest speaker at the TUV annual conference next month.

Some TUV members have been hostile to Reform UK since Nigel Farage discarded an electoral alliance with the party at the last Westminster election.

Jim Allister said he was looking forward to welcoming Mr Kruger to his party conference in Cookstown as “TUV continues to build links and relationships with friends across the UK”.

Several hundred delegates will attend the event in the Royal Hotel on Saturday, March 21.

Mr Allister said: “Danny Kruger is someone I have worked with closely since being elected to Parliament.

“Prior to his defection from the Conservatives to Reform, he is perhaps best known for his passionate arguments against the assisted suicide bill.

“He has also been an articulate voice in defence of our armed forces in the face of republican attempts to rewrite history by way of lawfare.”

Mr Allister added: “TUV is a unionist party which stands on its own two feet. But we do believe in building relationships with those across the UK who share our values on life, sovereignty and the integrity of the Union.”

‘Self-serving charlatan’

Prominent TUV members have been scathing of Mr Kruger's party in social media posts. They have branded Mr Farage a “self-serving charlatan” and voiced their distrust of a Reform UK government, which the TUV at Stormont has said it is looking forward to.

John Ross, a former member of the Parachute Regiment who ran for the TUV in the 2024 Westminster election and 2022 Assembly election, has said that Mr Farage isn't “a United Kingdom unionist”. He believes that “as time goes on, more and more people will wake up to his self-interest, particularly here in NI, when NI unionists realise he will happily abandon us”.

Mr Kruger became the first sitting Tory MP to defect to Reform UK last September.

In a Facebook post earlier this month, following more defections, Mr Ross wrote: “There is little, if any, difference between Reform and the Conservative Party. The fact that so many failed Conservatives have switched to Reform should ring alarm bells for those believing Reform will solve all our country's problems.

“People are rightly desperate for political change. They clutched at the first passing straw, Reform. I was one. I liked its direction whilst Farage was in the background. Once he seized their reins, the political direction changed.”

Mr Ross added: “To all I say, don't be a bleating sheep. Open your minds, exercise discernment in doing what you know to be right for our country. Don't allow yourselves to be conditioned by the purveyors of snake oil.”

TUV entered an electoral partnership with Reform for the 2024 Westminster election. However, Mr Farage threw Jim Allister's party under the bus when he returned as leader.

He endorsed the DUP's Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley in their election campaigns.

TUV Carrickfergus councillor David Clarke, who was his party's North Belfast candidate, branded Reform UK as “a total joke” in a Facebook post this month.

“I've no time for them anymore. I don't know how anyone could support them under this current leadership. They must be stopped from getting anywhere near power for the sake of the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” he added.

Losing a prince but keeping the crown

ALEX KANE, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

EVERY now and then the British media and public like to make a hullabaloo about the state of the monarchy.

My Mum and Dad’s generation lived through the 1936 abdication crisis, when Edward VIII wanted to marry the doubledivorcée Wallis Simpson, who was perceived to be ‘politically, morally and socially unsuitable as a prospective queen consort’.

Matters weren’t helped by the fact that Edward was the nominal head of the Church of England, which at the time did not allow divorced people to remarry if their exspouses were still alive.

The story dominated the national and international media for months and rattled those who feared that setting an abdication precedent would be terribly bad for the monarchy.

But the monarchy rumbled along quite happily afterwards, with a whole host of heirs and spares available in the event that another abdication would prove necessary.

Some thought it would prove so after the British people and media seemingly took Princess Diana to their hearts and wouldn’t hear a bad word about her.

The Queen described 1992 as an ‘annus horribilis’ after Charles separated from Diana, Andrew divorced Sarah Ferguson and Princess Anne divorced Mark Phillips.

Once again the media went doolally and a bizarre collection of people – all of whom tended to be described as ‘sources’ close to key players – fretted about the possibility of the monarchy being so tarnished that it wouldn’t survive Elizabeth.

Well, it did. That same media and public took Charles and Camilla to their hearts and lionised William and Kate (along with their wonderfully photographic children).

Harry decided he had had enough of the whole business – as he made thunderingly clear in his book Spare – but disappointed me by allowing himself and his children to retain their various titles and places in the line of succession.

There is a crisis surrounding Andrew. A crisis of quite epic proportions, as it happens.

Royal ‘Del Boy’

But there has always been an air of Del Boy crisis around Andrew. One sort of scrape after another. The sort of behaviour that used to be dismissed – and still is, in some quarters today – with the “there’s always one black sheep in the family” excuse.

But never so black, it seems, that he wasn’t welcome at family events or fawned over by the sort of people who fawn over anyone with a title and a sheen of celebrity.

The then Prince Andrew and Prince Charles attend the annual Order of the Garter Service in 2015

Irrespective of the fallout over the next few months – in terms of both the misconduct allegations and the far worse allegations re young women linked to Jeffrey Epstein – I think it’s reasonably fair to conclude that Andrew is toast.

His title and house of choice have already been removed, and it looks like an Act of Parliament, available under 2013 legislation, will remove him from the line of succession.

If there is a royal male equivalent of Miss Havisham, then it’s the role he will occupy until his dying days.

Does all of this amount to an existential crisis for the monarchy? I don’t think so.

Unless, of course, there is any evidence of any further senior royal links to Epstein, or any evidence that information about Andrew was known about well in advance and covered up from within the Palace, or ‘the firm’, as it was occasionally described.

Barring that, I don’t see any traction building by those who want the monarchy replaced by a republic.

As it happens, I’m one of those people. I’m a very old fashioned republican when it comes to heads of state: I just believe that anyone with a specific – and in some cases it isn’t much more than ceremonial – role in the governance of a state should be elected, accountable and replaceable.

I disapprove of monarchy, but not of some individual monarchs: although, in fairness, at 70 I’ve only had Elizabeth and Charles to go by.

And to be quite honest, I certainly preferred Elizabeth to the prospect of a President Blair or even Thatcher.

The British monarchy is both a fabulous (in the traditional, rather than Disney sense of the word) and fascinating institution. Those two qualities alone almost explain why it has lasted so long. That, and the ability to reposition and reinvent to steer through a crisis.

It survives, too, because it acts well as an example of British ‘soft power’ (just look at how Trump drooled in the presence of Elizabeth and Charles); and the British people still look to the monarchy when stability and tradition are required in times of national turbulence.

Andrew is presently an enormous national embarrassment. Helpfully, from the monarchy’s point of view, he is also an embarrassment that is easily and speedily sacrificed and isolated. So I don’t think we are looking at a republican revolution any time soon.

But the saga – especially if it gets worse – has damaged the institution in ways that the abdication and annus horribilis never did.

Assembly passes fewest laws of any devolved parliament’ as MLAs set for 27% pay rise

CONOR SHEILS, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

THE Northern Ireland Assembly has passed the fewest legislative bills of all the devolved institutions – with Scotland passing three times as many since power sharing returned in February 2024.

Data seen by The Irish News shows that Stormont ministers have passed just 10 pieces of legislation in the entire two years since the assembly restarted.

This compares with the Scottish parliament, which has managed to pass 31 bills in the same time period.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Assembly, which has just 60 members, passed 13 legislative bills.

It comes as MLAs look set to benefit from a 27% salary increase which is designed to bring their pay closer in line with their colleagues across the pond.

West Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll, who has spoken out against the proposed pay hikes, described the latest figures as undeserved.

‘Feathering their own nests’

“This is yet another damning piece of evidence to show that the proposed MLA pay hike is completely unjustified,” he said

“Stormont’s legislative record falls far behind that of other parliaments on these islands, and the fact that the big parties have managed to pass a bill that feathers their own nests speaks volumes about their political priorities.

“If pay were related to performance rather than greed and selfinterest, MLAs would be in line for a substantial pay cut.”

At present, Stormont MLAs earn £53,000 but this looks set to rise to £67,200 if the proposed increase, which has been recommended by the Independent Remuneration Board, is implemented.

This compares with Scottish MSPs who earn £74,507 since April last year and Welsh Senedd members who have been on £76,380 since last year also.

Ann Watt, Director of the independent think tank Pivotal says the Executive faces many limitations, which can mean it is slow to pass legislation.

“The system of government in Northern Ireland means everything moves more slowly,” she said.

“Our mandatory coalition is made up of parties with very different views, so it takes longer to reach a consensus about legislation, especially on more contentious issues.

“Disagreements are often left unresolved, meaning progress gets stuck. Plus unfortunately it’s a feature of Stormont that a lot of time and energy are used up on political disputes, rather than pressing forward on developing new legislation that will benefit the public.”

She added that the Assembly’s lack of progress is likely to make the substantial pay increases difficult for many to swallow.

“In some areas that don’t require new legislation, there are positive signs of progress, for example agreeing a programme for government, making public sector pay awards, additional funding to reduce health waiting lists, and new support for childcare costs”, she said.

“The problem for the Executive is that the public don’t see and feel the impact of these actions day to day, and most people don’t think the restoration of Stormont has made any positive difference in their lives.

“There’s another problem too if we look ahead – departments’ budgets are going to be very tight in the coming years, and we’re likely to see spending cuts and tight restrictions on pay rises for public sector staff.

“Given all that, it is going to be very hard for MLAs to convince people that they are worthy of such a big pay rise.”

PSNI slashes funding for Derry city CCTV by 92% sparking fears over crime

GARRETT HARGAN, Belfast Telegraph, February 25th, 2026

The PSNI is set to cut funding for CCTV in Derry city by 92%, prompting fears from all parties that serious crimes will go undetected.

Local councillors learned of the plans at a recent meeting.

A data table presented at the meeting showed the PSNI provided £75,000 in funding in 2023/24 — but that was to evaporate to zero.

The PSNI has now said it offered £6,000 — still a cut of 92%. In 2023/24, external funders — including the PSNI, The Executive Office (TEO), the Public Health Agency and Department of Justice/NI Policing Board — collectively contributed £274,248.

According to the council meeting, that external funding has plummeted to £76,827, with TEO noted as the sole contributor. Adding £6,000 from the PSNI, external contributions would reach £82,827.

The total cost of CCTV for 2025/26 amounts to £318,430, leaving the council to plug a gap of £235,603.

The PSNI Area Commander for Derry City and Strabane, Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney, said she recognised the “value of CCTV” but outlined that “it is impossible to ignore the challenges facing the wider police service in terms of budget and resources”.

She said “difficult decisions have had to be taken to preserve core function” — and contributing to CCTV funding here and in other districts “is an example of this”.

Ms Kearney concluded: “We are disappointed, but we remain committed to working with partners. And we will continue to engage with community representatives on this matter to find a more sustainable way forward for the provision of funding for CCTV.”

When questioned about removing all of its funding, the Department of Justice said it “has never funded” the CCTV network in the Derry and Strabane Council area. “The department and NI Policing Board jointly fund the Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP),” a spokesperson added.

“As an exceptional measure, in the financial year 2024/25, the Joint Committee that oversees PCSP funding approved a PCSP allocation of funding towards the costs of CCTV provision.”

The council clarified that funds provided by the Department of Justice for the implementation of the PCSP Action Plan was used by Derry and Strabane PCSP to co-fund CCTV provision in the city over a three-year period.

Attack highlights need for cameras

Following an attack on a 16-year-old on Sunday, which police are investigating as a sectarian-motivated crime, DUP councillor Niree McMorris highlighted the importance of CCTV in identifying the perpetrators.

In that case, the PSNI has requested CCTV, which will be an integral part of its investigation.

“Police need to put resources into CCTV. It is a vital way of gathering evidence,” Ms McMorris added.

SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid said footage is “regularly requested” by the PSNI and can be crucial in investigations and securing convictions.

“Without proper provision, we risk creating gaps that allow perpetrators to evade justice,” she added. “This is also an important issue in tackling violence against women and girls. It is difficult to see how cutting relatively modest funding for a proven public safety measure makes sense.”

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin said it is “unacceptable” for statutory bodies to expect the council to “carry the can for costs that they should be taking responsibility for”.

Scaffolding bill at Stormont almost £250k… with still no date for repairs

CONOR SHEILS, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph, February 25th, 2026

SCAFFOLDING erected at Stormont ahead of repair work on the roof has been in place for 18 months at a cost of almost £250,000 – yet no contractor has been appointed yet to carry out the renovations.

Figures show that costs associated with the scaffolding at the rear of Parliament Buildings and in three internal courtyards had reached £244,695 by the end of last month.

The breakdown shows £74,625 was spent on erecting the structure, with a further £170,070 accumulating in ongoing hire charges, a figure that includes weekly statutory safety inspections but no separate maintenance costs, as these are covered within the hire agreement.

The scaffolding was first put up in August 2024, meaning it has now been in place for over 18 months at a hire cost of roughly £9,400 per month.

Despite this, the Assembly Commission confirmed that a contractor to carry out the actual repair works has not yet been appointed.

A tendering process for the first of the remedial works — covering the rear of the building along with three courtyards — was only undertaken in January 2026 and submitted bids are still being evaluated.

Once a contractor is selected, a mandatory standstill period must elapse before a formal appointment can be made.

The commission said it “hoped” the work could be completed within the next six months, but acknowledged that a full and detailed timeline would not be available until after a contractor is appointed and an initial commencement meeting takes place.

The commission said the scaffolding was erected to allow investigatory works to establish the full scope of the repair programme and to address health and safety concerns, including the risk of falling debris in areas requiring ongoing operational access.

The remedial programme has been divided into two phases, with Phase 1 prioritising areas requiring ongoing operational access, including the slope entrance, boiler room and kitchen.

Meanwhile, Phase 2 will address the remaining areas of the roof.

The Assembly Commission insisted that preliminary costings for the overall project have not been exceeded, and that the prolonged scaffolding presence has not resulted in additional costs beyond original projections.

Scaffolding will be removed on a rolling basis as works in each section are completed, with Roof 1 and Courtyard 3 to be tackled first, followed by Courtyards 1 and 2.

‘Repairs should proceed without further delay’

SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone, who was among those who tabled questions on the scaffolding costs, said: “I would strongly question the logic of spending almost £250,000 of taxpayers’ money on scaffolding hire before repair work has even begun.

The structure has been in place for months with no visible progress. There must be urgent clarification on whether work was expected to start earlier and, if so, what caused the delay that has resulted in such significant cost to the public purse.

“With work only now set to begin, further costs will inevitably be incurred for as long as this scaffolding remains in place.

Repairs should proceed without further delay to minimise additional expense. There is a clear duty to ensure public money is spent responsibly and that responsibility rests with the Assembly Commission.”

The Assembly Commission has been approached for comment.

A Northern Ireland Assembly spokesperson said: “The Assembly Commission is acutely aware of the current budgetary pressures and the need to maximise value for money while also ensuring that necessary work is carried out in an appropriate way.

“While the tender process for the next phase is finalised, dismantling and re-erecting the scaffolding would be cost prohibitive and cause undue disruption to Assembly business. Furthermore, there are currently no feasible alternatives to manage the associated health and safety risks within the areas that require access.

“As custodians of a Grade A listed building, unnecessary physical intervention that could jeopardise the integrity of the historic fabric must be minimised.

“As Parliament Buildings remains fully operational and open to the public, the scaffolding has stayed in place to maintain safe access.

“The tender process is nearing completion, and the repair project will commence shortly thereafter.”

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone

Treasury’s Stormont loan a ‘de facto bailout’ that ‘masks deeper fiscal strain’: watchdog

Warning that UK Government cash ‘could dull the Executive’s incentive to take difficult decisions’

CLAUDIA SAVAGE, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

A BOOST from the Treasury is a “de facto bailout” that “masks deeper fiscal strain” in Stormont’s budgetary situation, a fiscal watchdog has said.

The NI Fiscal Council has published its assessment of Finance Minister John O’Dowd’s multiyear budget, and warns the Executive needs to “address the underlying causes of overspending”.

NI departments are on course to overspend their budgets again this year by almost £460 million, but the UK Treasury has agreed to provide a loan of £400m from its reserve, to be repaid over three years.

The Fiscal Council has said this support “reduces, but does not remove, the cliffedge reduction in real funding for public services in 2026 27”.

Its analysis claims: “The Treasury loan acts as a de facto bailout. By offering substantial assistance without any significant conditionality, the Treasury risks signalling that similar interventions are likely to be available in future years.

“This could dull the Executive’s incentive to take difficult fiscal decisions on revenue, the size of the public sector workforce and the sustainability of pay parity with Great Britain.

Allocations lower than expected expenditure

“Health and education will enter 2026-27 with opening budget allocations that are lower than the amounts they expect to spend this year despite these departments being responsible for this year’s overspend.”

It has further analysed that public sector pay remains the dominant structural pressure, as NI’s comparatively large public sector workforce means that when the UK Government increases spending to deliver a particular percentage pay deal in England, the block grant does not rise sufficiently to finance the same deal in NI.

The body predicts rising pay settlements, overspend recovery and restricted flexibility due to earmarked funding heighten the likelihood of renewed overspending in the next budget period.

The draft budget has not been accepted by Mr O’Dowd’s colleagues in the Executive, with DUP leader Gavin Robinson having said there is no point agreeing to a budget which “doesn’t work”, just because it lasts for three years.

The Fiscal Council has acknowledged the budget is therefore “unlikely to unfold as presented”, but it warns it is not clear there is “an alternative configuration of the available resources that would command widespread support”.

The body concludes there is a significant risk that no budget will be agreed before the new financial year.

Sir Robert Chote, chairman of the council, said the Treasury loan “has softened what would otherwise have been a much steeper fall in real spending power next year”.

He added: “But repeated exceptional support risks making such interventions appear routine rather than exceptional and may reduce the incentive to address the underlying causes of overspending.”

Speaking on Monday, Sir Robert said Stormont departments continuing to overspend was creating a “a particularly difficult environment in which to be setting out a budget for the next three years”.

“The departments have been essentially overspending, on average, the amounts of money that they’ve been allocated for the last four years or so,” he said.

“And under each of those circumstances, the Treasury, the UK Government has essentially come in and said, ‘well, okay, we’ll provide you with some short term supports to help you deal with that, and then we’ll ask you to repay that later’.

He added: “So the positive of that for Northern Ireland departments is it makes the squeeze on spending that much less severe next year, but also the danger is that it affects the behaviour.

“People think that there’s going to be more money available in the future, they know that there’s an election coming up here in a year’s time, which will mean that it’s a more difficult time for the UK Government to take tough decisions.

“So there is this danger that you end up essentially taking, what the Treasury would define as serious financial mismanagement, which is not sticking within your budget in a particular year, but almost normalising that by having essentially offered bailouts over recent years, and that means that the Executive is under less pressure to deal with some of the big choices that confront it.

“Do we want to match parity with the pay levels elsewhere? Do we want to continue to have as large a public sector workforce as we have relative to elsewhere? Do we feel the need to raise more revenue, the old favourite, of course, of domestic water charging? Are there savings you can make elsewhere?”

The draft budget has not been accepted by the Executive, with DUP leader Gavin Robinson having said there is no point agreeing to a budget which “doesn’t work” just because it lasts for three years.

Asked about the possibility of achieving political consensus on the budget, Sir Robert said: “It wasn’t possible to get the Executive to agree around even that relatively neutral sort of package.

“So given that any alternative package would involve making some departments and parties better off relative to others, you have to ask whether that’s going to make it any more likely that you can reach an Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald agreement under those circumstances.”

Health and Education

Health and education are two departments set to enter 202627 with lower budget allocations than the amount expected to spend this year despite these departments being responsible for this year’s overspend.

The fiscal council has concluded there is a significant risk that no budget will be agreed before the new financial year.

Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said not securing a threeyear budget would be a “huge missed opportunity, it would be a dereliction of duty on ministers around the Executive table”.

Asked how the Executive would deal with the financial pressures caused by commitments to pay parity, Ms Archibald said: “Clearly there is a challenge here in terms of our budget and our public services and being able to deliver the type of public services that people rightly expect and deserve.

“But our public sector workers also need to be paid for the jobs that they are doing. They are critical in terms of the delivery of public services.

“So we need to be properly funded. The Executive has been very clear too that we are up for transformation of our public services, but that requires investment as well.”

UUP leader to join Washington trip to ‘promote NI’ on St Patrick’s Day

CLAUDIA SAVAGE, Irish News, February 25th, 2026

Burrows says his party ‘respects the view of the independent body’ over salary uplift

JON Burrows will be visiting Washington on St Patrick’s day to “promote Northern Ireland”, he said yesterday. The UUP leader also faced questions at Stormont in relation to MLAs’ 27% pay rise, where he said his party “respects the view of the independent body” that recommended the uplift.

Sinn Féin have already said the party is continuing its boycott of events at the White House which began last year over US President Donald Trump’s support of Israel during its war in Gaza.

The DUP have confirmed that deputy First Minister Emma LittlePengelly and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons will be travelling to the US for St Patrick’s Day.

Mr Burrows told reporters yesterday: “Over St Patrick’s Day I’ll be visiting the United States, Washington, and engaging with key individuals over there.

“My objective is clear and that is to promote Northern Ireland, in terms of a place to invest.

“I’ll be selling our outstanding workforce, particularly in sectors like fintech, cyber security and I’ll also be promoting Northern Ireland as somewhere to visit as a tourist destination.

Promoting the case for the Union

“I’ll also be promoting the case for the Union, because I believe it is in the interest of the West and our security that Northern Ireland is an intrinsic part of the United Kingdom.”

Mr Burrows was asked several questions in relation to the £14,000 MLAs pay rise.

The Independent Remuneration Board has proposed an uplift in salaries for MLAs from £53,000 to £67,200 per year – a rise of 26.8%, from April 1.

It also recommended “significant financial sanctions” if an Executive is not formed following an election, or if at any time the offices of first minister and deputy first minister become vacant following recent political turbulence.

The UUP leader said: “We’ve taken a responsible position because we as a party didn’t put an input into the consultation.

“We understand public concern, public anger in some parts, but here’s the thing.

“We believe that Stormont has to up its game and our view is very clear, that anybody who collapses Stormont should actually get more punitive sanctions financially.

“We would have their pay taken entirely for the party that actually collapses Stormont and I understand, in short, performance in this place has not been good. It needs to improve.”

I understand that people think Stormont is not value for money. I believe the Ulster Unionist Party is value for money. That’s why there’s increased interest in our party.”

He added: “The principle here is this. There is an independent body for a reason and we need to respect the view of the independent body and that due process.

“And if that was in the future to not give increases, give increases that were below the rate of inflation, we will respect that too.

“We want to lift ourselves out of discussions about our own pay, leave them to an independent body.

“But here’s my challenge that I would put to everybody.

“The public are going to have a very good opportunity in May next year to vote out any party that they think is not delivered for the people of Northern Ireland and considering that Stormont has been collapsed twice, I think they should reflect upon who is trying to make Northern Ireland work.”

Suspicion within unionism around calls for reform of Stormont: Foster

REBECCA BLACK, Belfast Telegraph, February 25th, 2026

EX-FIRST MINISTER TELLS COMMITTEE OF GROWING CONCERNS AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL

There is “growing suspicion” within grassroots unionism in Northern Ireland around reform of the Stormont Assembly, according to a former first minister.

Baroness Arlene Foster sounded the warning while giving evidence to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee as part of its ongoing review into institutional reform.

There have been calls from some quarters for reform of the Assembly following recent political collapses between 2017-2020 and 2022-2024.

The Stormont Assembly and Executive were set up following the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, while some changes were delivered to how the mechanisms work following the St Andrews Agreement.

Reform of the petition of concern is among the most popular calls.

It is a safeguard mechanism which requires the backing of at least 30 MLAs to force a cross-community vote rather than a simple majority on an issue, but some parties have been accused of abusing it.

Baroness Foster told MLAs there must be clear cross-community support for any reform.

The former DUP leader, who described herself as now an “unaligned unionist”, cautioned that there is a “growing suspicion” from grassroots unionism around reform.

She said there is a view that the “language of reform is being deployed not to improve governance, but to tilt the constitutional balance or indeed marginalise one tradition following election results”.

“Whether or not that perception is fair, it exists, and in Northern Ireland perception has real political consequences,” she told MLAs.

Reform requires Consensus

“So reform can't be something that is done to one section of the community, it must be something that is agreed in a broad consensus.

“If mechanisms such as cross-community safeguards are only to operate in a way that benefits one community then we must question the entire basis of people giving their support to the arrangements that have been in place since 1998, and amended by the St Andrews Agreement in 2006.”

Former deputy first minister Mark Durkan also gave evidence to the committee yesterday morning.

Mr Durkan, who had been involved in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement negotiations, said he hoped some of the mechanisms would be “biodegradable”, and might fall away as the environment changed.

He said he wants to see reform, describing the current structures as having seen everyone's mandate frustrated with various collapses of the institutions over the years.

“The structures that we negotiated in 1998 were such that people weren't supposed to be able to vet or veto anybody else being able to take a position according to their mandate,” Mr Durkan said.

St Andrews Agreement

“But particularly courtesy of the St Andrews Agreement, we have ended up in a situation where people have been able to veto everybody else's mandate, so structures that were designed to stop any one party's mandate being discriminated against have ended up in a situation where we have had everybody's mandate actually frustrated, and the Assembly itself grounded.”

Turning to the posts of first minister and deputy first minister, Mr Durkan suggested a change of titles to reflect that it is a joint office.

“Essentially that language was there because one of the parties that was in the negotiation of the agreement would only agree to the joint office if there was a differential in the titles, but the fact is the office was fully designed to be absolutely consubstantial,” he said.

“It is meant to be a joint office, I do think the titles should be equalised, perhaps more importantly I would commend the idea of reverting to that joint office being subject to election by the Assembly itself.

“It was very deliberate in the agreement that that joint office was to be subject to open nominations, any two MLAs could be nominated, it did not specify that it had to be a unionist, and a nationalist, any two could be nominated.”

Mr Durkan added: “The biggest strength there would be to restore the primacy that was intended for the Assembly. That sense of the primacy of the Assembly is something that has decayed over the years.”

Final call for applications for Troubles disablement pension scheme

By Rebecca Black, Press Association, Belfast News Letter, February 25th, 2026

A final call has been made for a pension scheme for those left permanently disabled from an incident in Northern Ireland's troubled past.

The Victims' Payments Board is particularly keen to reach those who suffered a permanent disablement, either physical or psychological, as a result of a Troubles related injury, and may now live in England , Scotland or Wales .

Applications to the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme will close in August.

The scheme, administered by the Victims' Payments Board, can award payments ranging from £2,494 to £12,471 per annum to those eligible.

The board has paid out more than £123 million to victims to date.

Former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain encouraged potential victims to make applications.

"The scheme is due to end in August this year and I would urge anyone who comes within its remit to apply without delay, or indeed if anyone knows someone who may be eligible to encourage them to apply," he said.

"There may be those, especially in Great Britain, who don't yet know about the scheme and it's important that the message gets out that it exists, and for those who qualify it is truly life changing."

Paul Bullick , secretary to the Victims' Payments Board, described the "unique scheme", adding the board wants to "maximise its impact on those whose injuries must be acknowledged".

He added: "We are grateful to Lord Hain for helping raise awareness that the scheme is set to close for applications on August 30 2026 and we urge families, friends and those who may know victims of the Troubles to encourage them to apply.

"We work closely with the victims' groups and organisations to ensure as many eligible people are aware of the scheme and are given the opportunity to apply."

While the board will accept applications until August 30 , it will remain operational for some years until all applications received have been assessed and determined.

For further information and application forms, visit www.victimspaymentsboard.org.uk.

Dublin should have no role in discussions on Stormont reform, Burrows to tell Benn

By David Thompson, Belfast News Letter, February 24th, 2026

Jon Burrows has said his party will tell the government it is opposed to a role for Dublin in any future discussions about how Northern Ireland’s political institutions operate.

The Ulster Unionist Party leader made the comments ahead of his first meeting with the Secretary of State since taking over the role from Mike Nesbitt in January.

He has also said he plans to visit the United States for St Patrick’s Day alongside the UUP health minister, where he says the pair will “promote Northern Ireland’s interests”.

Mr Burrows and deputy leader Diana Armstrong will meet Hilary Benn on Wednesday afternoon in Belfast, and will address calls to reform how Stormont operates. It comes after growing calls from nationalists and Alliance to look again at the political structures, with the aim of providing better government.

However, unionists have accused them of seeking to undermine cross-community protections enshrined in the 1998 Belfast agreement by changing the rules after unionism lost its Stormont majority.

“We need to ensure that Stormont is functioning properly and effectively. Any discussions on reform must be fully in line with Strand One of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and there can be no role for the Irish Government in matters relating to the internal reform of Northern Ireland’s institutions”, the UUP leader said.

He added: “I am keen to discuss a number of key issues affecting Northern Ireland, including the ongoing challenges posed by the Windsor Framework, the Government’s Legacy Bill, and the looming funding cliff edge facing the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

“If the Secretary of State does not urgently address this, thousands of jobs could be lost and vital services placed at risk”.

“I will be travelling to the United States for St Patrick’s Day in the interests of Northern Ireland and pragmatic Unionism. Northern Ireland must take every opportunity to secure the very best outcomes for our people. We share a great deal with our American friends, not least through our economic ties, shared history and cultural links, and we must continue to actively promote Northern Ireland’s interests on the international stage”.