Sinn Fein, not taxpayer, must pay High Court Costs

Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“This morning’s judgement by Justice McAlinden is yet another reminder that Ms O’Neill and indeed her party are unfit for office. To have shown a “willful” disregard for the law or “abject ignorance” of it should clearly disqualify anyone from jointly leading the government of Northern Ireland.

“While it is clear that the problem with delaying the pension lay with the deputy First Minister I repeat my question of earlier this week – why was the Executive Office officially represented in the case given that the department can only act if there is agreement by both the First and deputy First Minister? Why did Mrs Foster permit her department to argue that the court should not involve itself in the dispute around the pension, something which the court rightly dismissed as “nonsense”?

“The Executive Office will now be liable for the substantial legal costs of defending this High Court case and for the costs of the applicants. It adds insult to the injury already done to innocent victims sector that the public taxpayer should be expected to pay for Sinn Féin’s perverse politicking. Thus, I am calling on Sinn Fein – a party of notorious wealth – to step up and foot the bill. We all pay enough for Sinn Féin’s antics without having to pay for this latest extravagance.

“Following today’s judgement, it is obvious that Ms O’Neill is unfit for office.

“The IRA inflicted more pain and suffering on innocent victims than any other terrorist group throughout the years of violence. Now their political wing has been found to have abused its position in government to deny those victims the pension to which they are rightly entitled. It is hard to imagine a more telling testimony to the immorality of the current arrangements.”