Long blasts appointment of 4 Victims Commissioners as a 'damaging fudge'

1.30.00pm GMT Fri 25th Jan 2008

Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA

Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long MLA has launched a stinging attack on the First and Deputy First Minister over the appointment of four Victims Commissioners instead of one. She slammed the decision as a fudge and said that it showed that the First and Deputy First Minister were incapable of making important decisions.

East Belfast MLA Naomi Long said: "This is a damaging fudge. How is this arrangement going to work?

"The work carried out by a Victims Commissioner is extremely important and I fear that the First and Deputy First Minister's actions might lead to the ridicule of this vital role.

"Why were four people appointed, when every one of them would have been capable of doing the job singlehandedly? The whole point of this role is to provide a single strong voice for victims. Instead, we have a Victims Executive, and no one knows if, or how, it will function.

"People will believe that these four appointments could be a massive financial burden on the budget for victims. There will be a real fear that valuable resources might now be diverted from frontline services which could have benefited victims and victims' groups.

"As Vice Chair of the Committee of the First and Deputy First Minister, it is very discourteous that they did not inform this Committee of these appointments. They have showed blatant disregard for the Committee, the Assembly and its members.

"The First and Deputy First Minister took a very long time to deal with this issue, and this fudge has shown that they are incapable of making important decisions. This will deeply damage the credibility of the Executive."

ENDS