FUND PLANS SPARK FURY IN RELATIVES
Fund plans spark fury in relatives
Families clash with trustees over trauma centre
A FURIOUS row over the allocation of cash from the Omagh Fund sparked heated exchanges when victims met with trustees in Omagh yesterday.
Victims and relatives criticised the fund trustees over the allocation of more than �lm to the new Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son, Adrian, in the atrocity, criticised the fund for lack of consultation. He believes the Government should have financed the new trauma centre.
"We are now calling for a review into how the Omagh Funds worked, and the reason for that is simply so that other people, in the future, who are setting up funds will learn from mistakes, if there were any, and also learn the strengths of Omagh," Mr Gallagher said.
The victims' families will also be directly challenging the Government over how the money is being used in Omagh. The Government has already invested a total of �1.5m in the new centre.
"The issue is why should the victims of August 15 - both the bereaved and the injured - have to pay for that trauma centre when this is a one-off opportunity for Omagh to achieve something that will benefit the families in the long term and leave a legacy," he said.
Mr Gallagher admitted there was surprise that financial contributions were not made to the cost of the civil action taken by the relatives.
"That was a way the money could have been used to help the victims of Omagh and also any future victims by putting people behind bars or bringing forward an action against them," he said.
He said that trustees should have talked to the beneficiaries of funds that went before Omagh, such as Aberfan, Hillsborough or Dumblane.and said they had not learnt from their lessons or mistakes.
Godfrey Wilson, who lost his daughter, Lorraine, in the atrocity, refused to shake hands with the trustees and stressed that they should have listened to the people.
"The Government did not protect the people of Omagh, therefore it is the Government that should provide the trauma centre," he said.
Fund manager Brian Oliphant and trustee Dr Clifford McCord MBE were emphatic that there had been wide consultation with other funds, including Hungerford's Mike Harris.
Mr Oliphant said a committee had been set up, at which the trustees were observers, to bring forward a project that would have widespread support of the community.
Dr McCord said: "The discretionary fund of almost �5m was distributed entirely between the bereaved and those who were physically injured."
Dr McCord explained that over �2m went to the relatives of the 29 deceased and the unborn twins.
Mr Oliphant said legal advice had been sought on whether to contribute funds to the civil action being taken by some of the victims but said it would have been "irresponsible of the trustees" to have taken part financially.
He added that the trust had received �28,000 from Omagh Town Football Club, adding that there had been a huge bonus for morale and the local economy by bringing premier clubs to Omagh.
Families clash with trustees over trauma centre
A FURIOUS row over the allocation of cash from the Omagh Fund sparked heated exchanges when victims met with trustees in Omagh yesterday.
Victims and relatives criticised the fund trustees over the allocation of more than �lm to the new Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son, Adrian, in the atrocity, criticised the fund for lack of consultation. He believes the Government should have financed the new trauma centre.
"We are now calling for a review into how the Omagh Funds worked, and the reason for that is simply so that other people, in the future, who are setting up funds will learn from mistakes, if there were any, and also learn the strengths of Omagh," Mr Gallagher said.
The victims' families will also be directly challenging the Government over how the money is being used in Omagh. The Government has already invested a total of �1.5m in the new centre.
"The issue is why should the victims of August 15 - both the bereaved and the injured - have to pay for that trauma centre when this is a one-off opportunity for Omagh to achieve something that will benefit the families in the long term and leave a legacy," he said.
Mr Gallagher admitted there was surprise that financial contributions were not made to the cost of the civil action taken by the relatives.
"That was a way the money could have been used to help the victims of Omagh and also any future victims by putting people behind bars or bringing forward an action against them," he said.
He said that trustees should have talked to the beneficiaries of funds that went before Omagh, such as Aberfan, Hillsborough or Dumblane.and said they had not learnt from their lessons or mistakes.
Godfrey Wilson, who lost his daughter, Lorraine, in the atrocity, refused to shake hands with the trustees and stressed that they should have listened to the people.
"The Government did not protect the people of Omagh, therefore it is the Government that should provide the trauma centre," he said.
Fund manager Brian Oliphant and trustee Dr Clifford McCord MBE were emphatic that there had been wide consultation with other funds, including Hungerford's Mike Harris.
Mr Oliphant said a committee had been set up, at which the trustees were observers, to bring forward a project that would have widespread support of the community.
Dr McCord said: "The discretionary fund of almost �5m was distributed entirely between the bereaved and those who were physically injured."
Dr McCord explained that over �2m went to the relatives of the 29 deceased and the unborn twins.
Mr Oliphant said legal advice had been sought on whether to contribute funds to the civil action being taken by some of the victims but said it would have been "irresponsible of the trustees" to have taken part financially.
He added that the trust had received �28,000 from Omagh Town Football Club, adding that there had been a huge bonus for morale and the local economy by bringing premier clubs to Omagh.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/449
Published Date: 11-Sep-02
Related Images
