Troubles legacy on agenda at Dublin meeting

The next steps in replacing the controversial Troubles Legacy Act will be discussed by British and Irish ministers in Dublin later on Monday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn is due to be hosted by Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Simon Harris.

It will be their first formal meeting since the UK and Ireland agreed a new framework on legacy, which was introduced in Parliament last month.

The new plan includes a legacy commission, a dedicated legacy unit within An Garda Síochána (Irish police force) being established, as well as a package of protections for veterans.

The UK government said the deal involves a package of protections for veterans, including “a protection in old age”.

The Legacy Commission, born out of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), will have independent oversight.

The new commission will also be “under a statutory duty not to duplicate the work of any previous investigations unless there are compelling reasons to do so”.

It will have two new directors for investigations.

The commission must also “take into account the health and well-being of potential witnesses at all times”.

Inquests, which had commenced but had not ended before the current Legacy Act came into force last year, will be restored.

Others which had not begun will be reviewed to identify a way forward.

A cross-border Independent Commission on Information Retrieval will be set-up, initially for two years.

It will receive information on Troubles cases from individuals which cannot be used in prosecutions.

London and Dublin believe the two bodies reflect what was agreed, but never implemented, under the Stormont House Agreement in 2014.

In the Republic of Ireland, a dedicated legacy unit within the gardaí (Irish police) is to be established and be operational by the end of this year, for co-operation on Troubles-related cases.

Ireland will bring forward legislation, where required, to facilitate full co-operation with the Legacy Commission, once its reform is enacted in UK law.

There will also be a ring-fenced €25m (£21m) fund to support victim participation in legacy processes in Northern Ireland.

Unionist politicians have been critical of the decision by London to allow Dublin a greater role in dealing with Northern Ireland legacy issues.

It was designed to replace the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Council (AIIC) and the Intergovernmental Conference, which was established under the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.

The BIIGC aims to promote bilateral co-operation on matters of mutual interest between the British and Irish governments, including issues relating to Northern Ireland.

No meetings of the BIIGC took place between 2008 and 2017, but it reconvened in 2018 following pressure on the then-Conservative government by Sinn Féin and the Irish government.

Since then, the meeting has alternated between London and Dublin.

It was last held in April at Hillsborough Castle, where the two governments said progress on the legacy issues was very close to a breakthrough.