Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2024
90. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his engagement to date with his UK counterparts on Northern Ireland legacy issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29781/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraDeveloping an agreed approach on legacy which responds to the needs of victims is fundamental to progressing reconciliation in Northern Ireland, in the full spirit of concord that underpinned the Good Friday Agreement. Legacy issues, both specific cases, and the wider approach feature in all of my engagements with my UK counterparts. I also engage with victims' representatives and with Northern Ireland's political leaders on legacy issues.
As the Government has repeatedly made clear, the UK Legacy Act enacted last September is not fit for purpose, and this has been expressed consistently in engagements with British counterparts since the text of the Bill was introduced in May 2022.
It is the Government's view that this legislation is not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, something I raised with the previous Secretary of State for Northern Ireland multiple times, both in person and by phone.
I discussed the Legacy Act in engagements with Hilary Benn earlier this year, in his capacity as shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In the lead up to the recent general election in the UK, the Labour party committed in their manifesto to repealing and replacing the Legacy Act, and returning to the principles of the Stormont House Agreement. I welcome that commitment.
On July 5, I spoke with the new Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP and the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP. The Taoiseach spoke with Prime Minister Starmer on the same day. The issue of legacy featured in all three calls. I look forward to close engagement with the new British Government in the period to try to find a better way forward. Compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and respecting the needs of victims will continue to be at the heart of the Government’s approach.
