New Justice Minister must meet Bethany survivors

The Minister of State with Responsibility for Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, stated on May 8, that Alan Shatter "clearly handled some issues badly".

Survivors of the Bethany Home can certainly vouch for that, they also know that the minister is eminently qualified to make this statement, as she observed Mr Shatter’s treatment towards the survivors.

Ms Lynch is on record as stating that “The continued refusal of the Government to include former residents of the Bethany Homes under the provisions of the Residential Institutional Redress Scheme is a running sore”.

As survivors we call on the new Minister of Justice to heed Ms Lynch’s own demands namely that “the Government must now meet with the survivors of the Bethany Home so that it can get some kind of understanding as to how frustrated they now feel, the government must do the decent thing and end this outrage”.

It has been widely reported that “Alan Shatter’s abrupt departure from Government followed months of ever creasing turmoil in his ministry”. Undoubtedly, a major issue that has sapped the credibility of the Government and Mr Shatter in particular has been the failure to resolve the issue of the Bethany.

If Ministers Frances Fitzgerald and Ruairi Quinn, do not take this fresh opportunity, they will face ever increasing turmoil, which will eventually overwhelm the entire Government.

Victor Stevenson

Rathmore Avenue

Bangor

Co Down