Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney said today that funding for the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry should be ring-fenced so that it receives the necessary finance to complete its work regardless of the dispute around Tory welfare cuts.
Raymond McCartney said:
“My party colleague Jennifer McCann has spoken to all the Sinn Féin ministers on the Executive and they are all agreed that the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry must be guaranteed certainty of funding. The HIAI can and should be immune from the on-going dispute within the Executive over Tory welfare cuts.
“It’s Sinn Féin’s view that the HIAI must get the funding necessary to complete its important investigation into the abuse of children in homes.
“Sinn Féin will be contacting ministers from the other parties on the Executive today to ensure that this happens.
“Martin McGuinness will also be meeting Peter Robinson to discuss this and other urgent funding issues.
“Political disagreements on Tory welfare cuts should not prevent routine but necessary reallocations and adjustments.”