Asbestos Legislation

An asbestos compensation plan in Northern Ireland is set to get underway, providing assistance to victims of pleural plaques.

BBC News reports that Finance Minister Sammy Wilson said the plan would begin on December 14 and that £2.5 million has already be allocated for the fund.

The plan appeared to be in jeopardy earlier this year when similar legislation in Scotland was challenged by insurance companies. However, the UK Supreme Court rejected their claim.

"The challenge to the corresponding legislation in Scotland cast a long shadow and I fought hard to get the Northern Ireland legislation through the assembly and submitted for royal assent," Wilson told the news source. "However, I always believed that the policy objectives of the act were just and fair and that belief has now been vindicated by the ruling of the UK Supreme Court in relation to the Scottish legislation."

Asbestos compensation is vital to victims as many of the diseases caused by exposure to the naturally occurring substance - such as malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis - are not diagnosed until it is too late for a cure. This means that compensation will be needed not only for medical care but to ensure that families are taken care of.