Statement by TUV Antrim Councillor Mel Lucas:

“While all right thinking people will welcome any attempt to highlight the plight of innocent victims of IRA terrorism one really does have to question why, during his time as an MLA, Rev McCrea never secured any debate on changing the definition of a victim. Under the 2006 Victims and Survivors Order a victim is defined as someone who has suffered as a result of a “conflict related incident”. Thus, it equates perpetrator with victim. This is the greatest insult to innocent victims and something which can only be changed at Stormont as it is a devolved issue.

“Of course, the truth is that having twinned himself in an iniquitous arrangement with Sinn Fein/IRA McCrea was powerless to do anything about this even when he was double jobbing as Republicans have an absolute veto over any change to the 2006 Order. Thus Dianne Dodds’s promise before the European election that legislation would be brought before the Assembly “very soon” (DUP press release, 16th April 2009) was so much hot air.

“And isn’t ironic that Rev McCrea should attack successive Westminster governments for not doing all in their power to combat IRA violence and demanding an apology for the same when all the time supporting the devolved set up which has seen an IRA commander elevated to the position of Joint First Minister?”