It’s never a surprise to hear the line from government at Westminster “it’s a devolved matter”, particularly when the topic they’re being asked about is of a sensitive nature. It’s almost a catchphrase these days when hands are to be washed of something it doesn’t particularly wish to get involved with.
And while devolved government does exist, there are some things which do require intervention. Westminster can’t wash its hands of something it set up if it isn’t fulfilling the purpose it was intended for.
When the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS) was set up in 2020 it gave some hope to families who had suffered during the Troubles that there would be some acknowledgement for what they have spent decades dealing with.
But once again there are issues over how Northern Ireland deals with its troubled past.
There have been some who lost loved ones denied access to the payments, while others, with tentative links to what happened, have progressed through the lengthy process to assess who should be eligible and who shouldn’t.
Add to that the lengthy process of filling in forms, having to document what happened in the past, the suffering gone through, and it’s easy to see why the process can be so difficult for those who apply. There is every chance that feelings they have spent years trying to suppress will come flooding back, re-traumatising, causing new suffering.
Once again Northern Ireland’s victims have been left with a half-hearted, messy approach to dealing with the past.
We’ve already seen it played out over the troubled Legacy Bill which the new Labour Government will be taking back to the drawing board.
In all of this we must not lose sight of the people who really matter – the victims themselves.
There are groups representing them who need to be involved in the process. Groups like Wave have plenty to say on the inadequacies of the payment scheme as it stands.
Too many families have gone without justice for the heinous crimes committed during the Troubles, and too many are being left in limbo over long-promised payments which would go a small way towards recognising their suffering.
They should not be the victims once again, this time of a scheme which promised much, delivers not enough and gets caught up in disputes over how it’s going to be funded.
It is welcome that Wave is sending a report to Secretary of State Hilary Benn, and as relatives wait, let’s hope it arrives to receptive ears.