OMAGH REPORT LAUNCHED AMID ROW
Omagh report launched amid row
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
JUST as controversy surrounded its four year existence, there was contention this week when the Trustees of the Omagh Fund launched their final report.
Members of the Omagh Victims Support group were at Omagh Council offices on Tuesday when the report received its airing. There were heated debates as some parents of those who died confronted the Trustees over what they claimed was a "severe lack of consultation".
However, while "hugely sympathetic" to the families, the Fund Trustees defended their decision on the distribution of the �6.3 million.
Criticism largely centred around the decision by the Trustees not to pay any money to those traumatised by the bomb and instead provide �150,000 each year for a five-year period to the Omagh Trauma Centre.
Godfrey Wilson and Anne, whose daughter Lorraine was killed in the bomb questioned two Trustees, Dr McCord and Joy McCormick as to who exactly received money for trauma. It was put to the Trustees that there were people who received money for trauma who were not near the bomb. However, this was refuted strongly.
Dr McCord said that because it is difficult to determine who is traumatised and who might suffer in the future, the Fund felt it would be better to provide something such as the Trauma Centre, which will be there for an indeterminate length of time.
"There were therefore no persons who received money for trauma," he said.
He went on to say that there had been a proviso made with the �150,000 and that is that the Trauma Centre uses it for victims of the Omagh bomb alone.
Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Victims Group told the Trustees that the Trauma Centre should not receive contributions from the Omagh Fund.
"This is a centre for the whole North and the government should be footing the bill. This money is being given away at the expense of those who died and were injured."
Mr Gallagher also accused the Fund of not consulting widely enough with other funds such as the Dunblane Fund or the Fund set up after the Aberfan disaster in Wales where 144 children were killed in a mudslide in 1966.
Fund Manager, Brian Oliphant said that people from the Hungerford Fund had visited Omagh and advised Trustees on the best way forward.
"It is extremely difficult to find the people who benefitted from a fund. We would not wish to give out the names Of the people who received money from the Omagh Fund. It would have proved impossible to contact these people".
However, Mr Gallagher said an advert could have been placed in newspapers from the Omagh Fund stating that its desire to contact someone for advice and information about how to administer a Fund.
CIVIL LAWSUIT
Another area of contention was the Fund's refusal to pay any money towards the civil lawsuit being taken by the Omagh Victims Support group against a number of Real IRA members suspected of planting the bomb.
Victor Barker, whose son James was killed in the bomb, said that the decision to create two funds a 'discretionary fund' and a 'charitable fund' was very unusual and that the Fund could have procured a dispensation from the government so that any sums contributed could be used for the purpose which the donors thought they were being used to bring relief to the bereaved and injured.
"When I asked the Trustees to donate some of that charitable trust to the Omagh Victims Legal Trust (to fund the civil action), the request was dismissed out of hand"he said.
Sean O'Dwyer said that by setting up of two separate funds, the Fund was able to secure �1.5m extra.
Justifying the Fund's decision not to back the lawsuit, Mr O'Dwyer said they had been legally advised not to give money to the lawsuit as this was not what people donating the money intended it for. "Regardless what sympathy you might have for their cause, it would have been irresponsible for the Trustees to fund a civil action".
The premier soccer friendlies played in Omagh and organised by Omagh Town football, raised �28??? for the Fund.
Brian Oliphant said "This was a sizeable sum, but that whole thing was much more than a fundraiser it was a tremendous morale boost for the people of Omagh".
Asked whether the Fund had any say in how the event was organised, Mr Oliphant said that the Fund had to remain apart from any fundraising.
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
JUST as controversy surrounded its four year existence, there was contention this week when the Trustees of the Omagh Fund launched their final report.
Members of the Omagh Victims Support group were at Omagh Council offices on Tuesday when the report received its airing. There were heated debates as some parents of those who died confronted the Trustees over what they claimed was a "severe lack of consultation".
However, while "hugely sympathetic" to the families, the Fund Trustees defended their decision on the distribution of the �6.3 million.
Criticism largely centred around the decision by the Trustees not to pay any money to those traumatised by the bomb and instead provide �150,000 each year for a five-year period to the Omagh Trauma Centre.
Godfrey Wilson and Anne, whose daughter Lorraine was killed in the bomb questioned two Trustees, Dr McCord and Joy McCormick as to who exactly received money for trauma. It was put to the Trustees that there were people who received money for trauma who were not near the bomb. However, this was refuted strongly.
Dr McCord said that because it is difficult to determine who is traumatised and who might suffer in the future, the Fund felt it would be better to provide something such as the Trauma Centre, which will be there for an indeterminate length of time.
"There were therefore no persons who received money for trauma," he said.
He went on to say that there had been a proviso made with the �150,000 and that is that the Trauma Centre uses it for victims of the Omagh bomb alone.
Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Victims Group told the Trustees that the Trauma Centre should not receive contributions from the Omagh Fund.
"This is a centre for the whole North and the government should be footing the bill. This money is being given away at the expense of those who died and were injured."
Mr Gallagher also accused the Fund of not consulting widely enough with other funds such as the Dunblane Fund or the Fund set up after the Aberfan disaster in Wales where 144 children were killed in a mudslide in 1966.
Fund Manager, Brian Oliphant said that people from the Hungerford Fund had visited Omagh and advised Trustees on the best way forward.
"It is extremely difficult to find the people who benefitted from a fund. We would not wish to give out the names Of the people who received money from the Omagh Fund. It would have proved impossible to contact these people".
However, Mr Gallagher said an advert could have been placed in newspapers from the Omagh Fund stating that its desire to contact someone for advice and information about how to administer a Fund.
CIVIL LAWSUIT
Another area of contention was the Fund's refusal to pay any money towards the civil lawsuit being taken by the Omagh Victims Support group against a number of Real IRA members suspected of planting the bomb.
Victor Barker, whose son James was killed in the bomb, said that the decision to create two funds a 'discretionary fund' and a 'charitable fund' was very unusual and that the Fund could have procured a dispensation from the government so that any sums contributed could be used for the purpose which the donors thought they were being used to bring relief to the bereaved and injured.
"When I asked the Trustees to donate some of that charitable trust to the Omagh Victims Legal Trust (to fund the civil action), the request was dismissed out of hand"he said.
Sean O'Dwyer said that by setting up of two separate funds, the Fund was able to secure �1.5m extra.
Justifying the Fund's decision not to back the lawsuit, Mr O'Dwyer said they had been legally advised not to give money to the lawsuit as this was not what people donating the money intended it for. "Regardless what sympathy you might have for their cause, it would have been irresponsible for the Trustees to fund a civil action".
The premier soccer friendlies played in Omagh and organised by Omagh Town football, raised �28??? for the Fund.
Brian Oliphant said "This was a sizeable sum, but that whole thing was much more than a fundraiser it was a tremendous morale boost for the people of Omagh".
Asked whether the Fund had any say in how the event was organised, Mr Oliphant said that the Fund had to remain apart from any fundraising.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1094
Published Date: 12-Sep-02
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