FAMILIES STILL WAIT FOR BOMB COMPENSATION
Families still wait for bomb compensation
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
THE Northern Ireland's Office's Compensation Agency has blamed the lawyers representing the Omagh bomb victims' families for long delays in finalising the compensation claims.
However, one man who lost his wife in the blast has accused the NIO of treating victims' families like "garbage".
The Ulster Herald contacted the Compensation Agency after Kevin Skelton said that he had faced undue delays and obstruction by an accountant working with the NIO.
Mr Skelton said that he had had such trouble with the Compensation Agency that he had run into bad health and that he often could not sleep at night thinking of the "hoops" that he was expected to "jump through".
He said that his legal representatives had agreed to a meeting a fortnight ago with NIO officials but that then a named forensic accountant with the Compensation Agency intervened and the meeting, set for the High Court in Belfast, was cancelled.
Mr Skelton commented, "The Agency is not prepared to talk to me unless I agree to settle my wife's case first. But they want me to settle without knowing what the settlement would be.
"They're holding off. They give you the impression that if they hold off for long enough that you would snuff it. It's pressure I could do without. My solicitor knows that I want it over and done with but the Northern Ireland Office is holding the whole thing up. It is mental torture.
"We are being treated like second class citizens as far as the government is concerned. Last week Jane Kennedy (the Security Minister) said it was time to draw a line in the sand and move on. That'll give you some idea what we're up against."
The Ulster Herald called the named accountant who refused to answer any questions, saying, "It's none of your business."
He seemed impervious to requests for information and appeals to remove any obstacles to the Omagh families' entitlements.
Michael Gallagher, Chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support groups said that Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam, in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, said that "there would be no red tape to hold up compensation claims. However, as we approach the fourth anniversary of the bombing, Omagh families are still waiting for compensation."
Frank Brannigan, Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency, said that with very few exceptions the hold-ups were as a result of the families' legal representatives not forwarding the necessary details.
"There are several reasons for it and I wouldn't say it's a hold-up, I mean there were 900 claims. The reasons for the non-resolution of the claims is very much about the Agency not having received the information from the applicants professional representatives." While unable to comment on individual cases he did affirm that Mr Skelton's case had additional complications.
"From the Agency's point of view we have done all that we can to try to resolve the cases as quickly as possible. No-one understands better than us the need for closure in these matters. You have no idea of the efforts we have been trying to make It's not doing our reputation any good. It's not doing the general public's impression of the Agency any good. We have done all that we can."
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
THE Northern Ireland's Office's Compensation Agency has blamed the lawyers representing the Omagh bomb victims' families for long delays in finalising the compensation claims.
However, one man who lost his wife in the blast has accused the NIO of treating victims' families like "garbage".
The Ulster Herald contacted the Compensation Agency after Kevin Skelton said that he had faced undue delays and obstruction by an accountant working with the NIO.
Mr Skelton said that he had had such trouble with the Compensation Agency that he had run into bad health and that he often could not sleep at night thinking of the "hoops" that he was expected to "jump through".
He said that his legal representatives had agreed to a meeting a fortnight ago with NIO officials but that then a named forensic accountant with the Compensation Agency intervened and the meeting, set for the High Court in Belfast, was cancelled.
Mr Skelton commented, "The Agency is not prepared to talk to me unless I agree to settle my wife's case first. But they want me to settle without knowing what the settlement would be.
"They're holding off. They give you the impression that if they hold off for long enough that you would snuff it. It's pressure I could do without. My solicitor knows that I want it over and done with but the Northern Ireland Office is holding the whole thing up. It is mental torture.
"We are being treated like second class citizens as far as the government is concerned. Last week Jane Kennedy (the Security Minister) said it was time to draw a line in the sand and move on. That'll give you some idea what we're up against."
The Ulster Herald called the named accountant who refused to answer any questions, saying, "It's none of your business."
He seemed impervious to requests for information and appeals to remove any obstacles to the Omagh families' entitlements.
Michael Gallagher, Chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support groups said that Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam, in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity, said that "there would be no red tape to hold up compensation claims. However, as we approach the fourth anniversary of the bombing, Omagh families are still waiting for compensation."
Frank Brannigan, Chief Executive of the Compensation Agency, said that with very few exceptions the hold-ups were as a result of the families' legal representatives not forwarding the necessary details.
"There are several reasons for it and I wouldn't say it's a hold-up, I mean there were 900 claims. The reasons for the non-resolution of the claims is very much about the Agency not having received the information from the applicants professional representatives." While unable to comment on individual cases he did affirm that Mr Skelton's case had additional complications.
"From the Agency's point of view we have done all that we can to try to resolve the cases as quickly as possible. No-one understands better than us the need for closure in these matters. You have no idea of the efforts we have been trying to make It's not doing our reputation any good. It's not doing the general public's impression of the Agency any good. We have done all that we can."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0993
Published Date: 04-Apr-02
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