The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has welcomed Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report, seeing it as a "comprehensive, sensitive and cogent" analysis of what was a profoundly important and emotional set of issues.
The Government would study it in detail, he said, and look carefully at its recommendations. It would consult widely, including with the British government and the new institutions to be established under the Belfast Agreement, on how they might best offer appropriate support to whatever arrangements and schemes were put in place.
Following this consultation, Mr Ahern said, they would make a significant financial contribution. "But I know that no words or deeds can truly compensate people for their long years of suffering or can heal the traumas which remain a living reality for many thousands of victims," he added.
The Taoiseach said it was clear from the report that many victims of violence felt isolated and ignored. On behalf of successive Irish governments, he acknowledged that this feeling was shared by victims in this jurisdiction, including those of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
