Northern Ireland

Victims’ group question delays over new commissioner appointment

While it has taken only weeks to advertise for a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, ten months have passed since the last Victims Commissioner stepped down

Victims and survivors of the Troubles gather in Killough, Downpatrick, Co Down, to watch the sun rise to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April 2023 (Liam McBurney/PA)
Ten months have passed since the Victims Commissioner for Northern Ireland stepped down without an advertisement for a replacement. In contrast, a recruitment process for a new Veterans Commissioner was announced within weeks. (Liam McBurney/PA)
By Allan Preston

QUESTIONS have been raised about why it has taken only weeks to advertise for a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, while victims and survivors of the Troubles have been waiting ten months for progress.

Ian Jeffers stood down as the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors in January, but The Executive Office is yet to advertise for a replacement.

In contrast, the Northern Ireland Office is already running a recruitment process to replace Danny Kinahan who stood down as Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner last month.

Sandra Peake is CEO of the WAVE Trauma Centre and said victims deserved better.

“Obviously Danny Kinahan retired very recently and it very important to get a replacement for the veterans, however we have been quite a number of months. There’s seems to be a lack of process and not so much as an ad out in relation to that post,” she told the Irish News.

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“Of course there’s a time delay in all recruitment processes, so that is worrying for victims and survivors. For us as an organisation, the Assembly has been back since February but there is no sign of the recruitment process starting.

“It’s very poor because there are very fundamental issues facing victims and survivors since the Good Friday Agreement over the legacy of the Troubles.

“This is a time when we should have a very active and dynamic commissioner in place, particularly for those who don’t subscribe to particular victims’ groups.

“If there is a reason why there is a delay then they should be very transparent about why that is instead of just leaving us in the current state without any guidance on what’s actually happening.”

CEO of WAVE Trauma Centre, Sandra Peake. PICTURE: CLIFF DONALDSON
CEO of WAVE Trauma Centre, Sandra Peake. PICTURE: CLIFF DONALDSON

She added: “For the First and Deputy First Ministers and their teams in the Executive Office, we need progress and we need it now. I don’t want to see the end of the year approach without a commissioner in place.

“The Executive Office will tell us how focused they are on victims and survivors, and yet we don’t have a champion at a time when it’s needed.”

An Executive Office spokesperson it would be at least next year before any new appointment was announced.

“Preparations are at an advanced stage, and it is anticipated that the recruitment competition will be formally launched in the Autumn,” they said.

“The Commission for Victims and Survivors is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPANI) and, as such, the appointment process must comply with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments and will run into next year.”

NIO Minister Fleur Anderson announced the Veterans Commissioner role would be publicly advertised this week.

During a Westminster debate, Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann called for the role to be “fully independent” after Mr Kinahan resigned over a lack of operational independence from the NIO.