Tanaiste says Repeal of Legacy Act will be a priority when he meets new Northern Secretary
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For Oral Answer on : 27/06/2024
Question Number(s): 14,28 Question Reference(s): 27594/24, 27580/24
Department: Foreign Affairs
Asked by: Brendan Smith T.D., Seán Haughey T.D.
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QUESTION
* To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will discuss as a matter of urgency in early July with members of the British government the need to repeal the legacy legislation introduced by the British government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Brendan Smith T.D.
REPLY
Tánaiste:-
As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, the British and Irish Governments have a shared duty to deliver on the vision and commitments of the Agreement that provide the overarching framework for deepening peace, political stability and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Effectively addressing the painful legacy of the Troubles has been an ongoing challenge throughout the 26 years since the Agreement was concluded, complicating the vital work of reconciliation across these islands.
The UK Legacy Act was a unilateral departure from the approach the two Governments and most parties in Northern Ireland resolved take, as set out the Stormont House Agreement.
The Government’s concerns regarding the Act include the fundamental question of its compliance with the European Convention of Human Rights, which are now the subject of an inter-state case.
I have consistently made clear to the British government our grave concerns about this Legacy legislation.
On 1 May, the day that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery became operational, I had a phone call with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I reiterated the overwhelming opposition to the legislation in Northern Ireland, particularly among victims and families.
This call followed our discussion of wide range of legacy issues, including ongoing domestic and interstate legal proceedings, at the meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London two days earlier, on 29 April.
I am conscious that, regardless of the outcome of the UK general election, we can expect a new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Early engagement with the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, once appointed, is a priority for me. I have no doubt that the Legacy Act, and how we might work together more effectively on legacy issues more broadly, will be at the centre of my early and ongoing contacts with the new Secretary of State.
Looking forward, there are many other important issues on which we will continue to work closely with the British Government. Our relationship is too broad, too deep, too important, ever to be defined by a single issue. That said, the issue of the legacy of the Troubles is a fundamental one. I will continue to press for an approach to legacy that is victim-centred and human rights compliant. I believe that delivering such an approach, in partnership, is essential to any reconciled future on this island.
