Wife Hopes Mesothelioma Bill Goes Through
Another mesothelioma compensation bill has passed the second stage at Stormont. Spokeswoman for the Victims of Asbestos North West – Mary Carlin – lost her husband to the mesothelioma disease. She said that she is hoping that the money will be easy for the victims to get a hold of.
“It would be great if they could get that money with as little hassle as possible, because of what the families go through at that time,” she said.
Between 40 and 50 people die annually from the disease in Northern Ireland. Social Development Minister Margaret Richie, who introduced the bill, said the proposed legislation would break new ground by extending payments to all sufferers.
“I will give early access to a lump sum payable within weeks of diagnosis,” she said. “This means sufferers will get compensation while they can still benefit from it during the final months of their lives.”
Hundreds of former workers in shipyards and other heavy industries have died from asbestos-related diseases. Under the new Bill it will not be necessary to prove an occupational or causal link to access compensation.
This means that wives who contracted mesothelioma from washing their husband’s asbestos work clothes or the children who played with these overalls are to benefit, as will people who lived near factories that used asbestos.