The appointment of Northern Ireland's new victims commissioner is an unnecessary use of public money, a teachers' union chief said tonight.
Frank Bunting, northern secretary of the Irish National Teacher's Organisation slammed the Government for creating another layer of bureaucracy.
"There are better ways of governing Northern Ireland. I don't think we need commissioners for every single issue that arises.
"There seems to be money for all kinds of political adventures but none for the bread and butter issue of teachers teaching," he said.
The announcement of a commissioner to help victims of the Troubles was made in a written statement by Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy, who said it was part of a tailored approach to dealing with the past.
Mr Murphy said the new commissioner, who will be appointed after a period of consultation, would play a pivotal role in promoting the interests of those who have suffered and in setting up a Victims and Survivors Forum.
The commissioner would advise the government on the funds needed to support the work of victims' groups and would allocate resources to them.
A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Office said that once the consultation was over the government want to would move quickly to appoint a commissioner, provided there was cross community support.
Mr Murphy said: "We need to consider carefully and collectively how best to deal sensitively with the needs and expectations of all sections of the community in dealing with the legacy of the past."
"The creation of a Victims and Survivors Commissioner is intended as a major contribution to that work. But it does not mark the end of either of the process or the Government's contribution to it."