Local Victim’s Group, South Down Action for healing Wounds, has welcomed the report published by the Intrim Victim’s Commissioner, Mrs Bertha McDougall.

A spokesperson for the organisation said,

“We are pleased to see that many of the concerns which we shared with Mrs McDougall have been included in her report”

They went on to say,

“As part of the consultation with her, we stressed the need for additional money for individual victims, especially those who were most affected during the early part of the troubles whenever the levels of compensation were not so good.  We are particularly pleased to read of her recommendation for the establishment of a UDR Fund.”

The spokesperson concluded,

“We await the implementation of the report as there is still a lot of hard work to be done within the victims sector and it is essential that more long term funding arrangements be put in place to support the work that groups like ourselves carry out in the community.”