Victims 'confused' by commission

In January, details of NI's victims' commissioners were revealed

The Victims Commission was set up in 2008

People who attended a meeting of the Victims Commission in Londonderry on Wednesday night have said they were confused by the body's proposals.

Among the issues discussed were plans for a victims forum, the Eames/Bradley proposals and a new victims and survivors service to be set up in 2010.

Seamus Heaney, whose brother was shot dead by the Army, said families are being overlooked amid the bureaucracy.

"The last few years have just been waffle," he said.

"There hasn't been a straight answer given to anybody on any issue that's been brought up.

"I thought far too many issues were on the agenda, and it just seems to me it's going to make the delivery of anything for victims much more complex," he said.

The Commission was set up in 2008 to promote the interests of victims and survivors of the Troubles.

One of the commissioners, Brendan McAllister, said at the meeting that the make-up of the pilot Victims and Survivors Forum will be announced in the next few days.

"We will be revealing the names of the 30 or so people we have invited into the forum, each of whom we believe is a victim of the Troubles, plus the nine advisors we have asked to serve on that forum.

"This will run in pilot form from this month until next June, so that we can road test it as a model.

"Hopefully from that we can discern the best kind of forum that will be of use to victims and survivors," he said.