BOMB VICTIM'S FATHER ANGRY OVER MINISTER'S STANCE ON HOUSE COLLECTION
Bomb victim's father angry over Minister's stance on house allocation
by Ruth McKee
THE father of Omagh bomb victim, Aiden Gallagher, has expressed outrage after the Northern Ireland Victims' Minister, Angela Smith, rejected his plea for help in securing a vacant Housing Executive property for his traumatised daughter, Sharon, (30), near to the family home in Omagh.
According to Mr. Gallagher, Sharon has suffered depression since her brother, Aiden, (21), was murdered in the Real IRA bomb in Omagh five years ago, along with 28 others and unborn twins.
Mr. Gallagher wrote to the Minister, outlining Sharon's case and the need for her to have support from her family living nearby, and urged the Minister to use her influence.
He was shocked by her response, telling him, that all houses were allocated on the basis of a points system, due to legal requirements.
The Minister said: "It would be out of the question for me to intervene to ask for preferential treatment for victims."
According to Mr. Gallagher, in her capacity as Victims' Minister, intervene was exactly what Ms. Smith should have done.
"There is obviously something wrong here and the Minister should put things right, and if she is not willing to do that she should stop accepting her salary on the backs of victims," said Mr. Gallagher.
According to Mr. Gallagher the government's Reshape, Rebuild and Achieve strategy was launched to give practical help for troubles victims and had not lived up to its promise.
One of its measures, he said, was for specially trained Housing Executive officers to come out and assess the accommodation needs of troubles victims.
"In this case this did not happen," he said.
"The government has introduced a strategy for dealing with the victims of the troubles, but when we have tested these measures they have not lived up to what we were told they would be this appears to be more about glossy magazines and brochures than delivering practical help to victims," he said.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said: "The government is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors are fairly treated and have access to the support and services they need. The allocation of housing is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
"Whilst the Minister cannot intervene in their processes, nevertheless she ensured that officials for the victims unit spoke to the Housing Executive at an early stage and on a number of occasions to ensure that all factors would be taken into account."
In a short statement yesterday (Wednesday): "The Housing Executive said: "Mr. Gallagher's daughter's case is being assessed by the Housing Executive's complex needs office. The Housing Executive cannot add anything further at this point in time."
by Ruth McKee
THE father of Omagh bomb victim, Aiden Gallagher, has expressed outrage after the Northern Ireland Victims' Minister, Angela Smith, rejected his plea for help in securing a vacant Housing Executive property for his traumatised daughter, Sharon, (30), near to the family home in Omagh.
According to Mr. Gallagher, Sharon has suffered depression since her brother, Aiden, (21), was murdered in the Real IRA bomb in Omagh five years ago, along with 28 others and unborn twins.
Mr. Gallagher wrote to the Minister, outlining Sharon's case and the need for her to have support from her family living nearby, and urged the Minister to use her influence.
He was shocked by her response, telling him, that all houses were allocated on the basis of a points system, due to legal requirements.
The Minister said: "It would be out of the question for me to intervene to ask for preferential treatment for victims."
According to Mr. Gallagher, in her capacity as Victims' Minister, intervene was exactly what Ms. Smith should have done.
"There is obviously something wrong here and the Minister should put things right, and if she is not willing to do that she should stop accepting her salary on the backs of victims," said Mr. Gallagher.
According to Mr. Gallagher the government's Reshape, Rebuild and Achieve strategy was launched to give practical help for troubles victims and had not lived up to its promise.
One of its measures, he said, was for specially trained Housing Executive officers to come out and assess the accommodation needs of troubles victims.
"In this case this did not happen," he said.
"The government has introduced a strategy for dealing with the victims of the troubles, but when we have tested these measures they have not lived up to what we were told they would be this appears to be more about glossy magazines and brochures than delivering practical help to victims," he said.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said: "The government is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors are fairly treated and have access to the support and services they need. The allocation of housing is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
"Whilst the Minister cannot intervene in their processes, nevertheless she ensured that officials for the victims unit spoke to the Housing Executive at an early stage and on a number of occasions to ensure that all factors would be taken into account."
In a short statement yesterday (Wednesday): "The Housing Executive said: "Mr. Gallagher's daughter's case is being assessed by the Housing Executive's complex needs office. The Housing Executive cannot add anything further at this point in time."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1611
Published Date: 07-Aug-03
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