The chairman of Traditional Unionist Voice has questioned what the DUP position on Eames – Bradley actually is.

Commenting on today’s debate in the Assembly Ivor McConnell said:

“The DUP position on the Eames-Bradley proposals is questionable to say the least. Since the restoration of devolution they have repeatedly claimed that they are running Stormont and that Republicans are very much playing second fiddle to Peter Robinson and his party colleagues.

“Eames – Bradley tells a different story. While not for one moment seeking to justify their iniquitous proposals, it is only fair to point out that in proposing to make a £12,000 payment to terrorists as well as innocent victims they are employing the  same definition of victim as Peter Robinson when he has his joint First Minister’s hat on.

“The 2006 Victims and Survivors Order which defines a victim as one who has suffered as a result of a “conflict related incident” is the core of the problem here. Every DUP representative who got up to denounce the Consultative Group on the Past should have been denouncing their own party leader for jointly heading an office which operates under the same terms of reference as Eames – Bradley.

“While the 2006 Order was passed during the days of Direct Rule, devolution has done noting to rectify the obscenity of victim and perpetrator being lumped together. Quite the opposite. In October of last year TUV leader Jim Allister revealed Freedom of Information documentation which showed that those who interviewed candidates for the post of victims commissioner in November 2007 -  and it still was a single position at that point – were provided with a list of “Points to look for at interview”. Among these was “A commitment to the broad definition of victim and survivor provided by the Victims and Survivors (Northern Ireland) Order 2006”.

“Small wonder that the sister of a terrorist who was killed while engaged in his wicked deeds – or as a statement issued by the First Ministers’ Office called him a “volunteer” killed on “active service” – was deemed to be a suitable candidate!”