Relatives' concern over funding of investigations

Confidence in a body established to probe unsolved murders in the North could be eroded by its hand-to-mouth financial existence, victims said tonight.

A £1.5m (€1.79m) deficit at the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) is being addressed by government but relatives of those who died are already unhappy at how long they have to wait for news.

The Victims and Survivors’ Commission said any further disillusion would lay poor foundations for more investigations, with money problems encouraging a brain drain of experienced detectives from the HET to more secure positions.

The team was established to probe more than 3,200 unsolved murders.

A Victims’ Commission spokesman said: “While the news that the £1.5m (€1.79m) shortfall is being addressed is welcome, the Commission isn’t happy that such an important body of work is reliant on such a hand-to-mouth financial existence.”

“The Commission wishes to emphasise its view that financial uncertainty is systematic to the victims and survivors’ sector and has several key negative impacts.”

Last Friday it was revealed that the 180-strong squad of detectives in the HET faced a £1.5m (€1.79m) funding shortfall until its new budget came into effect next April.

It said its work would have to be scaled back significantly after a promise of extra funding was withdrawn – and warned some of the team would have to be dispersed.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said at the time that extra funds for the team had to be judged “against the overall challenging financial position”.

But an NIO spokesman later added that the team would have the necessary funds to complete this year’s work.

The Commission said putting a “question mark” over the future of the HET caused unnecessary upset and added to the stress suffered by victims and survivors.

“This in turn places greater pressure on the health service, which effectively means a shortfall in a NIO budget eats into a devolved health budget.”

A common complaint from families about the work of the HET is the amount of time they have to wait, with any further delay in funding worsening that problem.

“The Commission added: ”Lack of public confidence in HET will lay very poor foundations for any future investigative processes, which may emerge from those, including this Commission, who have a duty to draw up recommendations for dealing with the past.

“It is a well-established fact that financial uncertainty is a major contributor to the victims and survivors’ sector losing expertise and capacity, as key personnel feel forced to take up more secure positions elsewhere.

“Continuing financial uncertainty will create the real danger of HET losing experienced investigators and family liaison officers, leaving families to feel yet again let down and frustrated.”