Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 November 2021
27. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the Government in view of the British plans to issue an amnesty for troubles related crimes will legislate for legacy mechanisms with specific reference to the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval. [56581/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt has been the consistent position of the Government that the Stormont House Agreement provides a balanced and comprehensive framework to address to the legacy of the Troubles. It was agreed by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it should be fully implemented – for the families and victims who have waited for too long.
The framework of the Stormont House Agreement provided for a set of institutions to deal comprehensively and fairly with the legacy of the Troubles, and this framework included an Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR) for truth recovery, to be available to victims and survivors across the UK and Ireland. The objective of the ICIR will be to enable victims and survivors to seek and privately receive information about the Troubles-related deaths of their next of kin.
The Irish and British Governments concluded an agreement on the establishment of the ICIR in October 2015. As set out in that agreement, the Commission will consist of five members; an Independent Chairperson of international standing, appointed by the two Governments, one Commissioner each appointed by the Irish and British Governments, and two Commissioners appointed jointly by Northern Ireland's First Minister and deputy First Minister.
The ICIR agreement was signed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in October 2015 and laid before the Oireachtas in January 2016. The Independent Commission can only be formally established once the necessary legislation has been enacted in both jurisdictions and the two Governments have notified each other of completion of all other domestic legal procedures required to bring the agreement into force.
I have engaged extensively with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on these issues to urge him to move forward with the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement legacy bodies, including the ICIR, and we remain in ongoing contact to support a way forward on these matters.
It is crucial that we find a way forward with the two governments and the parties that meets the needs of victims, and is based on the principles of justice, reconciliation and the rule of law. We have a responsibility to seek an agreed approach, for those families who have waited for too long.
