NORTH Belfast victims campaigner Raymond McCord has called for all funding to be stopped to UVF-linked community groups.
Raymond's 22-year-old son, Raymond Jnr, was murdered by the UVF in 1997. His call comes after police said the UVF was behind a hoax bomb attack at Holy Cross Church last month, when Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was speaking at a peace event at the nearby Houben Centre.
Last week, Raymond travelled to Dublin for a meeting with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement at Leinster House.
Raymond is part of the Truth and Justice Movement, a cross-community group of victims and campaigners who lost loved ones during the Troubles.
Speaking to the North Belfast News, Raymond said: “I called for all funding to be stopped to UVF-linked community groups
MEETING: The Good Friday Agreement Committee 
“The Chair has asked for an audit for all funding to community groups since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. That is a powerful statement.
“The money is not being seen in the Unionist community. Politicians have largely remained silent on these funding issues at Stormont.
“The Committee have stated they want to come to Belfast to explore these issues.”
The group also discussed the British Government amnesty proposals, which seek to close all current avenues of legacy investigations, civil claims, inquests and criminal prosecutions.
“The Committee are behind us one hundred per cent in rejecting the proposals,” added Raymond. “When something is done on a cross-community basis, it works.
"We also met with Sinn Féin President Mary-Lou McDonald who told us there will be no amnesty. We came away feeling positive and look forward to further meetings."
Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Fergus O’Dowd said: “The proposals published by the British Government last year for a statue of limitations i.e an amnesty – to end criminal investigations and inquests relating to Troubles related incidents represent a serious unilateral departure from the agreement between the British and Irish Government and political parties in Northern Ireland.”
“It is incumbent on all representatives to work to address Legacy issues for the sake of victims and their families.”
