Historical Institutional Abuse: 'Ten years' to process abuse redress applications

It could take up to 10 years to process about 5,000 applications for compensation from survivors of historical institutional abuse in NI, a Stormont committee has heard.

Commissioner for victims Fiona Ryan told politicians that a 10 year timeline was "just not acceptable".

"Victims and survivors have waited long enough," she added.

The redress board set up to process applications began issuing payments last year.

Ms Ryan was named as the first permanent commissioner for victims of institutional childhood abuse in Northern Ireland in October last year.

She was appointed following recommendations from the HIA inquiry, which investigated decades of abuse across a number of Northern Ireland institutions.

Ms Ryan told Stormont's Executive Office Committee on Wednesday that one year after its formation, 506 applications had gone to final determination.

She said the board was set up on the presumption that there could be 5,000 applications for redress.

"That would suggest, on current figures, you could be looking at up to 10 years to complete this work," she said.

"Frankly for victims and survivors, the majority of whom are in their 60s and 70s, I consider a 10-year timeline just not acceptable."

She added: "This is not rocket science."

Ms Ryan also told the committee that some of the victims were finding lockdown "really difficult".

She said it reminded them of their confinement as children and was affecting their mental health.