The South Belfast MLA stated: “It is beyond frustrating political failure in both Belfast and London now appears to mean victims of institutional abuse will have to wait until into the next decade even for recognition of the appalling suffering they have experienced.
“The lack of allocation means even if a Minister were to come into post as soon as Easter, there would be no budget even to establish the redress scheme or construct an adequate memorial.
“Most of all, this raises serious questions about the Secretary of State’s intentions on this matter. She has said clearly she will consider taking steps to address the issue in the event no Executive is established imminently, but is introduced a Budget which will expressly block her from doing so. This is a serious breach of trust which will rightly dismay victims and their families further.
“Yet again, victims are being asked to pay the price of political failure in the present having already been victims of it in the past. My party colleagues and I will be seeking to find ways to ensure an adequate allocation can be made urgently, but it remains an uphill struggle for as long as other parties engage in stand-off politics without taking the responsibility that comes with their mandate.”