THE Birmingham Six are in Dublin for the first time in three years and are due to meet Department of Foreign Affairs officials today. They are seeking to enlist Government help in putting pressure on the British government to improve its compensation offer.
Five of the six men arrived at a Dublin hotel last night with their solicitor, Ms Gareth Peiree, to discuss ways of advancing their ease for compensation.
The men received an interim payment of £200,000 following the quashing of their life sentences for the Birmingham pub bombings. However, they believe that the "full and final" payment, less than £400,000 each, did not adequately compensate them for 16 years in prison and the effect of that on their lives.
Last night one of the men, Mr Billy Power, said that to accept such a figure was "tantamount to admitting guilt". His compensation, which he has not accepted, was £225,000, plus £25,000 for his family, £50,000 for loss of earnings and the same amount for loss of future earnings. Some received no payment for loss of earnings, while another received less because he had been in prison before the Birmingham bombings case the whole process was unsatisfactory, said Mr Power. None of the men had met the assessor, Sir David Calcutt. There was no information indicating how he arrived at the amounts in each case.
"There is no chance of a fair hearing in Britain. It is impossible to get work in Britain. We are all unemployable. It has affected our, children and grandchildren," Mr Power.
Mr Paddy Hill said the offer an insult. "We have been for the past 20 years. We Irish Government to take this up on our behalf because we are unable to do so on our own.