Question Time: Justice Tuesday 19 November 2013
Minister of
Justice, David Ford, addressed the Chamber during today’s Question Time. In
answer to Michelle McIlveen’s query about departmental resources set aside in
the quest for justice for the murders of the Disappeared, the Minister said that
it is very important that the PSNI and other criminal justice agencies are
adequately resourced and he will continue to work with his Executive colleagues
to ensure that sufficient funding is available. He also affirmed that anyone
with information has an “absolute duty to do all that they can to assist in the
recovery of those who were disappeared”. At the suggestion that there may be a
lack of urgency in bringing the perpetrators to justice, Mr Ford declared that
he had “no evidence to believe that everything that can be done is not being
done”.
Patsy
McGlone followed this up by asking the Minister about steps being taken by the
Department of Justice to help find the remains of Columba McVeigh (one
of the Disappeared). The Minister reiterated his call for anyone with
information to go to the relevant authorities but said that the matter is for
the PSNI and Garda Síochána
to deal with rather than his department directly.
Jimmy Spratt
also asked the Minister for an update on the recommendations
suggested by the NI
Prisoner Ombudsman after the suicide of inmate Colin Bell in
Maghaberry prison in 2008. The Minister confirmed that 43 of the 44
recommendations made in the Ombudsman’s
report were accepted, have now been addressed and he is satisfied that
significant progress has been made by the Prison Service. Mr Ford agreed that
the death was avoidable but is confident that “lessons are being learned”.
During a
busy Question Time the Minister answered many other Members queries including
topics such as human trafficking, parole commissioner procedures and the
National Crime Agency.
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