THE FOUR-MEMBER Commission for Victims and Survivors has begun a series of public consultations on its plans for addressing the needs of those most affected by the Troubles.
Brendan McAllister, Patricia MacBride, Bertha McDougall and Mike Nesbitt said the five public meetings would help them finalise their programme of work which they are due to present to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
The commission has already drafted an initial work programme and is seeking as much public feedback as possible to enable those plans to be finalised before submitting them to Stormont at the end of the month.
"Time is pressing," they said. "We want and need to move forward and present our programme of work to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister as quickly as possible.
"We already know victims and survivors want action."
They said the task of trying to make a difference to those most affected by conflict would closely inform their thinking.
"We want to support victims in ways that make their lives better by trying to address the issues which create difficulties for them, by giving them platforms where they can give direct responses to the issues affecting their everyday lives and by ensuring that their voices are heard in the very heart of government."
Speaking before the first public meeting in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, last night, Mr McAllister said he and his fellow commissioners approached their task with an entirely open mind. "We don't know what to expect," he said.
In an open forum session one woman, claiming she was both a victim of one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles and also a survivor, said she feared many like her who suffered from the early days of the conflict could remain beyond the reach of help.
"After what happened to me, all was available was the GP who might get you sedatives. There was nothing else," she said. "It was constant struggling, it was there in the morning. It was there with you at night."
She claimed she was willing to share her story in order to reach out to help those who struggle daily like her. The meeting heard from those already involved in working with victims and survivors of the difficulties they faced.
The commission has a further eight months to finalise a three-year plan of work under six headings- increasing awareness of victims' needs; to review the law regarding victims and survivors; to review services affecting victims; to advise the Northern Secretary, Assembly and Executive on those areas; to liaise with victims; and to work to establish a forum for them.
The commissioners said they are particularly mindful of the ongoing work of the Eames-Bradley group which is specifically addressing the legacy of the past and drawing up proposals due to be published later this summer.