Statement by TUV Newry and Armagh Assembly candidate Barrie Halliday:

“The statement issued by the Transitional National Government in Libya apologising for the actions of the Gaddafi regime in supplying explosives and weaponry to the IRA is welcome. I note the absence of any similar statement of regret from those who actually used the weapons.

“I have been involved in the work securing compensation for this issue and it is good to see some apparent progress.

“However, I would echo the concerns of my party leader Jim Allister who back in November 2009 warned that any compensation package should not be “perverted by political manipulation”.

“EU Peace funding far too often ended up in the hands of the perpetrators rather than the victims. Buying the matter off with some contribution to a ‘peace and reconciliation fund’ will corrupt the purpose of proper reparation for those whose lives were blighted by Libyan supplied IRA weapons of terror.

“It is important to ensure that any compensation is not allocated on the same basis as funding to victims from Co-First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness. Due to the perverse definition of victim accepted by the Joint First Ministers’ Office - which equates the terrorist killed by his own bomb with the innocent man, woman or child murdered by men of violence - a stream of money which should go to victims ends up in the pockets of those who stand for terrorism.

“The DUP promised us repeatedly that they would change this during the last Assembly. However, due to the fact they have agreed to a system of devolution which gives Sinn Fein/IRA an absolute veto on all issues they have been unable to deliver.

“TUV is about bringing radical, democratic reform to Stormont and if elected I will make the righting of Stormont’s wrongs against victims my top priority.”