Mr. Tom Roberts:

I am the director of the Ex-Prisoners Interpretative Centre. I will not repeat what Mr. Culbert has said because in spite of our political and ideological differences, in one respect, on the issue of discrimination against former prisoners, we are singing from the same hymn sheet. EPIC was established to facilitate the reintegration of political prisoners from an Ulster Volunteer Force background. Our work has evolved and I believe we have played a considerable part in consolidating the peace process. Unlike politicians, we came together voluntarily with republicans to champion areas of common concern.

EPIC remains committed to reconciliation and conflict transformation both within and between communities. We uphold the principles of conflict transformation through social justice, community engagement, restorative justice and the reintegration of former prisoners and their families. In so doing we have brokered and developed relationships with loyalist-Unionist and republican-Nationalist communities, worked towards removing the structures and conditions of conflict, promoted shared histories and worked to prevent a future generation engaging in violent discord. This work has been ongoing despite the external impediments to which Mr. Culbert has alluded, such as criminalisation, a failure of government to deliver a shared future and hostility towards former prisoners. A subjective and hostile media and a failure to acknowledge the role that loyalists have played in brokering and sustaining peace also hinder us.

Paragraph 5 of the prisoners section in the Good Friday Agreement reads:

The Governments continue to recognise the importance of measures to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners into the community by providing support both prior to and after release, including assistance directed towards availing of employment opportunities, re-training and/or re-skilling, and further education.

However, 17 years on from the Good Friday Agreement when that commitment was given, neither the British nor the Irish Governments during direct rule and the devolved Northern Ireland Executive have properly addressed the barriers, legislative and otherwise, that prevent former prisoners resuming full citizenship. We have to question seriously the point of groups like ours re-training former prisoners when the current discriminatory practices prevent the utilisation of these skills. We have ex-prisoners serving the public in the political administration of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Ex-prisoners serve on district councils, North and South, the Northern Ireland Assembly, Westminster and Dáil Éireann. Furthermore, an ex-prisoner currently jointly holds the most senior position in the Northern Ireland Executive, yet other ex-prisoners are deemed, under current legislation, unsuitable for a range of relatively mundane occupations. In effect, the situation has become absurd.

Like Mr. Culbert, I have come before the committee to raise awareness on the discrimination of former political prisoners. I am not sure whether members are aware of the range of issues we face. We have primarily raised the question of employment. In regard to institutionalised discrimination, ex-prisoners are not entitled to enter criminal injuries claims or criminal damage claims, a right that is afforded to all other citizens. If one's property is damaged and if one is injured by violent attack, one is not entitled to compensation. International travel, as well as other issues that present difficulties for us, will emerge in the question and answer session. I hope to enlist some support from the committee in addressing these issues.