Ministers Appoint Four Victims' Commissioners In The North

Deny Reports Of Clashes During Process

The details of the North's Victims' Commissioners were announced on Friday with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness surprising the assembly with an announcement that they would be appointing four, rather than the one that was expected.

He also confirmed that all four posts would be full-time positions, with each Commissioner receiving the full advertised salary of £65,000 a year.

The Commissioners are tasked with promoting the interests of victims of the Troubles.

The four commissioners include broadcaster Mike Nesbitt and ex-interim victims'commissioner Bertha McDougall together with Brendan McAllister of Mediation NI and Patricia MacBride, whose brother was killed by the British Special Air Service (SAS) and whose father died 17 months after being shot by loyalists.

The commissioners thanked the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on Monday

"for the assurances they have given us that they will make available all the resources and support they can.

"We further welcome the £33m of funding announced today.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also rejected reports at the weekend that the two had clashed over the choices saying that there had never been "a situation where the first minister proposed someone and I proposed someone as an alternative.

"We were never in a position of disagreement as to how to bring this matter forward."

"For our part, we acknowledge each other's commitment to victims and survivors and after our initial meeting, we emphasise none of us intends to limit our involvement to any group or sector or geographical area."

Unveiling the four new appointees were at Stormont, First Minister, Dr. Ian Paisley emphasised that appointing four commissioners was "the best way forward.

"Given the significant backlog of urgent work and the range of difficult challenges that face us in this area, these four people will have much more capacity to engage with victims and survivors than a single commissioner," he concluded.

On Sunday, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, the North's first Victims' Commissioner suggested that a lingering lack of trust within the community had prevented the appointment of a single person for the role.

The former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service told the four new commissioners that they "will need to champion the needs of victims and speak frankly to government, publicly on occasions."

He also said he was glad to see progress "on the victims front" at last and urged the four to pay particular attention to the economic and financial position of victims.