The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is being pressed over a planned public apology for survivors of historic institutional abuse.
In the aftermath of the resignation of First Minister Paul Givan, the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse Fiona Ryan has also urged that work continues on other recommendations following the public inquiry.
Ms Ryan said it is impossible to overstate the devastation felt by survivors who had been looking forward to finally receiving an official public apology for the abuse they were subjected to in institutions.
Mr Givan and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill announced the apology would be given in Parliament Buildings in Stormont on behalf of the powersharing executive on March 11.
Statements were also to be made by representatives of state and religious institutions found to have been responsible for the abuse.
The announcement was made on the fifth anniversary of the publication of the findings of the landmark inquiry, which was chaired by the late Sir Anthony Hart, a retired High Court judge.
It examined allegations of physical, emotional and sexual harm of children in residential institutions between 1922 and 1995.
However Mr Givan’s resignation has forced both heads of government from the joint office.
Ms Ryan has asked for options on the way forward, emphasising that survivors must be consulted in the process.
On Friday, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said negotiations are under way to try to ensure the apology does go ahead next month.
“We have discussed with the other parties the designation of a minister in the Executive to deliver that apology to the victims,” he told the BBC.
“My party has fully supported the victims of historic institutional abuse, we worked together with them to deliver a scheme that would provide them with the support they need. I want to see those victims getting that apology as quickly as possible.
“I think they should have the apology a long time ago.”
Ms Ryan told the PA news agency that she has written to the head of the civil service Jayne Brady to press for options and that work on other aspects continues.
“Victims feel they are being disregarded, discarded and that their pain and suffering from childhood once again has not been acknowledged,” she said.
“That system to failed to see them and hear them as children is repeating the same mistake.
“An apology needs to be offered to victims and survivors. That symbolic apology, saying to victims and survivors, ‘you were never to blame, we let you down, please can you consider this apology’.
“I wrote to the head of the civil service and I asked what options are there, and what options could there be for victims and survivors.
“Obviously victims and survivors need to be engaged with throughout this whole process, it are their views that matter and what is acceptable to them.
“To me this apology goes beyond party politics, it is about saying sorry, recognising the pain, in many cases women and men who are getting older and desperately want to hear those words, ‘I’m sorry’.”
Ms Ryan said a previous collapse of the Stormont Executive in 2017 came just after the Hart recommendations and were not then acted on.
She said she also asked the head of the civil service for updates on the review of the redress process following complaints that process was retraumatising victims and the contribution from the institutions to the redress fund.
“I am urging that work that has been undertaken so far in relation to all the recommendations is progressed, that no un necessary bureaucratic impediment is put in place and that those recommendations that are not as developed are also brought forward at pace,” she said.
“But all of this has to be done in consultation with victims and survivors, and engaged with at every stage of the process.”
Ms Ryan said victims and survivors had to battle for the inquiry, battle through the inquiry, battle for the recommendations to be implemented and now feel they are starting another battle after coming so close to the public apology only to see it taken away.
