HARDSHIP ROW ENGULFS OMAGH FUND
Hardship' row engulfs Omagh Fund
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
"DID 31 people have to die so that we could provide a �1 million donation to the building of what is an essentially a government owned trauma centre?"
That was the questioned posed by Michael Gallagher as he raised further questions as to how the Omagh Fund dispensed monies donated by the public.
Mr Gallagher was speaking this week after the news that a "Hardship Fund" to distribute some �200,000 of monies donated to the Omagh Fund was likely to be given out in payments of between �3,000 (individuals) and �5,000 (families) to people who had suffered, for example, psychological trauma as a result of the blast.
Mr Gallagher and others bereaved in the bombing learned of plans for the "Hardship Fund" through the newspapers. At the very least, he said, the bereaved families should have been informed of the Omagh Fund administrators' intentions.
"We have always had concerns about how the Omagh Fund operated, but the administrators didn't want to know about the victims from the start. For example, giving �1 million to a government-run trauma centre."
BEREAVEMENT
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Gallagher led a group of people from several families who had suffered bereavement or had someone seriously injured in the blast, to meet the chairman and chief executive of the council to make their concerns about the latest development known.
It is understood that the families are seeking a meeting with the trustees of the Omagh Fund to make clear, their dissatisfaction with the "Hardship Fund" and with the handling of the entire fund since the very beginning.
Chairman of the Omagh Fund trustees, Sean O'Dwyer, said he was not aware of any recent approach having been made to the trustees for a meeting with the Self Help and Support group. However, he said an approach had been made in January and that he understood that at that point there was no urgency on the part of the families for such a meeting and that suitable dates had been considered.
Mr O'Dwyer reacted to the criticism of Omagh Fund giving money to the Trauma Centre by saying that, of all the letters that the trustees had received (and there were not that many), none of the people who had made donations either large or small had expressed any dissatisfaction with the way in which the money had been allocated.
"We have set up the Hardship Fund as a result our own knowledge and representations made to us by various people like NICTT and Tara and maybe some other requests.
"We felt we wanted to help try and help some of the people who suffered from trauma, and though we talk about financial suffering it can be other suffering.
"We are charged with the responsibility of distributing the (Omagh) Fund monies."
�1 MILLION
Mr O'Dwyer said that there was still over �1 million in the Omagh Fund although large parts of that have been earmarked for the Trauma Centre and other similar projects.
On the subject of what criteria will be applied to determine genuine from bogus claims, Mr O'Dwyer commented, "That might be fairly difficult but John McKinney's committee consists of people from the NICTT, Tara and Wave and I think there's going to be a doctor on it and someone from Focus and somebody from the Churches Forum. They've got a form made out.
"It's always a difficult thing when you move away from directly helping injured and bereaved people. We've already distributed about �5 million. What we haven't done very well is help the people who suffered from trauma."
Some of those being considered as suitable cases for receiving the money included the Spanish people who lost three of their number in the blast, he said.
Concluding, Mr O'Dwyer said that he wanted everything to do with the fund to be as open and transparent as it could possibly be.
WITHIN one week of the launch of the Hardship Fund, the recommendation body has responded to approximately 60 requests for application packs and information regarding the initiative.
The individual members of the Recommendation Body have already met with a number of individuals on a one-to-one basis to discuss the aims of the Hardship Fund and to provide assistance in completing the application pack.
Jean Caldwell of the Wave Trauma Centre has noted the different circumstances affecting those who have enquired about the Hardship Fund saying, "The Hardship Fund was created to meet the needs of those affected by the Omagh Bomb.
"We have had enquiries from people who have never before shared their difficult experiences following the Omagh Bomb as well as people who previously never considered the financial loss that they have lived with since their circumstances changed on that day in August 1998.
"What people have noted about the Hardship Fund is its emphasis on meeting at least some of the needs of the very many people who have endured real financial loss as a result of the Omagh Bomb, it is as simple as that."
Another representative of the Recommendation Body, Geraldine Keys of FOCUS, concurred with the generally positive response to the Hardship Fund.
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
"DID 31 people have to die so that we could provide a �1 million donation to the building of what is an essentially a government owned trauma centre?"
That was the questioned posed by Michael Gallagher as he raised further questions as to how the Omagh Fund dispensed monies donated by the public.
Mr Gallagher was speaking this week after the news that a "Hardship Fund" to distribute some �200,000 of monies donated to the Omagh Fund was likely to be given out in payments of between �3,000 (individuals) and �5,000 (families) to people who had suffered, for example, psychological trauma as a result of the blast.
Mr Gallagher and others bereaved in the bombing learned of plans for the "Hardship Fund" through the newspapers. At the very least, he said, the bereaved families should have been informed of the Omagh Fund administrators' intentions.
"We have always had concerns about how the Omagh Fund operated, but the administrators didn't want to know about the victims from the start. For example, giving �1 million to a government-run trauma centre."
BEREAVEMENT
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Gallagher led a group of people from several families who had suffered bereavement or had someone seriously injured in the blast, to meet the chairman and chief executive of the council to make their concerns about the latest development known.
It is understood that the families are seeking a meeting with the trustees of the Omagh Fund to make clear, their dissatisfaction with the "Hardship Fund" and with the handling of the entire fund since the very beginning.
Chairman of the Omagh Fund trustees, Sean O'Dwyer, said he was not aware of any recent approach having been made to the trustees for a meeting with the Self Help and Support group. However, he said an approach had been made in January and that he understood that at that point there was no urgency on the part of the families for such a meeting and that suitable dates had been considered.
Mr O'Dwyer reacted to the criticism of Omagh Fund giving money to the Trauma Centre by saying that, of all the letters that the trustees had received (and there were not that many), none of the people who had made donations either large or small had expressed any dissatisfaction with the way in which the money had been allocated.
"We have set up the Hardship Fund as a result our own knowledge and representations made to us by various people like NICTT and Tara and maybe some other requests.
"We felt we wanted to help try and help some of the people who suffered from trauma, and though we talk about financial suffering it can be other suffering.
"We are charged with the responsibility of distributing the (Omagh) Fund monies."
�1 MILLION
Mr O'Dwyer said that there was still over �1 million in the Omagh Fund although large parts of that have been earmarked for the Trauma Centre and other similar projects.
On the subject of what criteria will be applied to determine genuine from bogus claims, Mr O'Dwyer commented, "That might be fairly difficult but John McKinney's committee consists of people from the NICTT, Tara and Wave and I think there's going to be a doctor on it and someone from Focus and somebody from the Churches Forum. They've got a form made out.
"It's always a difficult thing when you move away from directly helping injured and bereaved people. We've already distributed about �5 million. What we haven't done very well is help the people who suffered from trauma."
Some of those being considered as suitable cases for receiving the money included the Spanish people who lost three of their number in the blast, he said.
Concluding, Mr O'Dwyer said that he wanted everything to do with the fund to be as open and transparent as it could possibly be.
WITHIN one week of the launch of the Hardship Fund, the recommendation body has responded to approximately 60 requests for application packs and information regarding the initiative.
The individual members of the Recommendation Body have already met with a number of individuals on a one-to-one basis to discuss the aims of the Hardship Fund and to provide assistance in completing the application pack.
Jean Caldwell of the Wave Trauma Centre has noted the different circumstances affecting those who have enquired about the Hardship Fund saying, "The Hardship Fund was created to meet the needs of those affected by the Omagh Bomb.
"We have had enquiries from people who have never before shared their difficult experiences following the Omagh Bomb as well as people who previously never considered the financial loss that they have lived with since their circumstances changed on that day in August 1998.
"What people have noted about the Hardship Fund is its emphasis on meeting at least some of the needs of the very many people who have endured real financial loss as a result of the Omagh Bomb, it is as simple as that."
Another representative of the Recommendation Body, Geraldine Keys of FOCUS, concurred with the generally positive response to the Hardship Fund.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1651
Published Date: 08-Apr-04
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