A new deal addressing the legacy of troubles and renewing reconciliation efforts was presented by Tánaiste Simon Harris and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn on September 19th. The deal aims to provide a more comprehensive framework for investigations concerning crimes committed during the Troubles.
Simon Harris expressed optimism about the deal, expressing his hope to “move forward from probably the most difficult, painful and complex issue outstanding” in Ireland: “I believe, in my heart of hearts, that this is our best, and last, opportunity,” he said.
The agreement will amend current legislation, particularly the Legacy Act of 2023, which is widely disputed and opposed by families of victims, as well as all major political parties in Northern Ireland.
Changes to the legislation include a restructuring of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The Commission will be renamed the Legacy Commission. It will structure a new board for independent oversight and rules for staff pertaining to conflicts of interest will be made more strict.
Additionally, a specialised unit will be established in An Garda Síochána by the end of the year to aid the investigations of legacy cases and a new cross-national body, the Independent Commission for Information Recovery, will be established.
The governments also pledged to set aside €25 million to support families involved in legacy processes.
The framework established by the new agreement is reminiscent of the Stormont House Agreement, which was agreed upon by the governments in 2014 but never fully implemented. Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed the new framework, claiming it constitutes “a stronger commitment from the Irish Government in terms of resourcing and setting up units within An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice to cooperate fully with all inquiries”.
Despite the leaders’ apparent satisfaction with their agreement, victims’ families have expressed their hesitancy to be optimistic, given the disappointments of past legislation. Jon Boutcher, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), expressed that for the framework to be effective, additional funding is needed for policing while Amnesty International deputy director for Northern Ireland, Grainne Teggart, warned that the framework should be “more than simply a rebrand”.
