Bobby Storey cremation row cost Belfast City Council almost £100,000
- Published
A large number of mourners turned out for the funeral
Belfast City Council's final legal bill over a controversy surrounding the cremation of a senior IRA figure was almost £100,000.
Bobby Storey's funeral in June 2020 sparked a major political dispute.
Large crowds, including senior Sinn Féin representatives, attended during Covid-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
The council had separately faced criticism over its handling of the veteran republican's cremation.
Eight bereaved families did not get the same access to Roselawn Cemetery as Mr Storey's relatives for the cremations of their loved ones.
'Hurt and distress'
The council apologised to the families affected "for the hurt and distress caused" and offered them compensation.
A total of £94,171.99 was spent on legal fees to deal with the controversy, the local authority said in a Freedom of Information (FOI) response.
The figure includes about £50,000 spent on a barrister-led report commissioned by the council to investigate what happened.
The council was criticised over its handling of the cremation of Bobby Storey on 30 June 2020
It does not include any compensation paid to the families affected.
The council refused to confirm or deny whether any payments were made, arguing this would be an "actionable breach of confidence".
At the time, it offered to "help facilitate a memorial service for their loved ones at a future date… and also advised that the cremation fee can be refunded".
The council issued the FOI response after being asked to do so by the Information Commissioner's Office following a complaint over an almost three-month delay.
The barrister-led report, completed in 2021, found no political pressure was applied to the council to give special treatment for Mr Storey's cremation at Roselawn.
Peter Coll KC said the different arrangements for cremations that day were "avoidable, unnecessary and simply wrong".
Who was Bobby Storey?
Mr Storey was seen as a key individual in selling the peace process to republican hardliners
Mr Storey, who was northern chairman of Sinn Féin, was named under parliamentary privilege as a former head of intelligence of the IRA.
He was a close and lifelong ally of former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
Large crowds lined the streets for the funeral procession in west Belfast at a time when there were strict limits on public gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The attendance of Sinn Féin leaders sparked a political row in Stormont's power-sharing executive, with the party accused of disregarding rules set for the rest of society.
Police investigated and a file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), but it decided not to pursue any prosecutions.
In its decision, the PPS cited prior engagement between the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and funeral organisers, as well as a lack of clarity in the executive's coronavirus regulations.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, former leader Gerry Adams, and deputy leader Michelle O"Neill attending the funeral of Bobby Storey
Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill defended her attendance, saying she acted within the rules and would "never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend".
She later expressed regret over public health messaging being "undermined".
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) councillor Ron McDowell called for greater transparency from the council.
"The compensation, if there was any, paid to families should be in the public domain," he said.
"Everyone knows that this whole debacle cost the council, the executive and the PSNI their credibility. It's long past time we knew the total financial cost as well."
A council spokeswoman said: "Belfast City Council recognises the hurt which has been caused by its actions in respect of events of 30 June 2020 at Roselawn Cemetery.
"We also recognise that the public are entitled to information about how the council has dealt with these events and have made information publicly available, where possible.
"The council must however also respect the privacy of those affected and cannot release information which could be considered a breach of confidence.
"We again offer our unreserved and wholehearted apology to all those families impacted by these events."