Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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396. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the statement by the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (details supplied) on legacy issues issued on 18 March 2020. [34596/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It has consistently been the position of the Government that only through a collective approach can we hope to deal fairly and comprehensively with the legacy of the Troubles, in a way that responds to the needs of victims and survivors, and society as a whole.

The Stormont House Agreement framework is the way forward on these issues. Agreement was reached by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations. In March, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland issued a statement that proposed significant changes to that framework. I engaged with Secretary of State Lewis directly following this statement, to set out the Government's serious concerns about those proposed changes, and we have remained in regular contact with the UK Government on this issue since then to underline this message.

Where the UK Government is proposing significant changes to that framework, these must be discussed and agreed by both Governments and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive.

The need for agreement by both Governments to any changes of approach applies importantly and specifically to the legislation that would implement the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval on foot of the Treaty between our two Governments signed in 2015. Any approach has to be coherent across both jurisdictions.

In terms of the issues the UK Government raised in its statement about the treatment of British military veterans, the Government's position is again clear. There should be effective investigations into all Troubles-related deaths, regardless of the perpetrator. The Government would not support a proposal to introduce any special measure or treatment regarding investigation of state or non-state actors in Northern Ireland.

The rule of law and the protections afforded by the European Convention on Human Rights must apply equally to everyone and must be upheld, and this principle is at the core of the Stormont House framework.

Victims and survivors have had to wait for far too long for a suitable and effective system in Northern Ireland to deal with the legacy of the Troubles. The Government remains ready to engage and work with the British Government and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive in partnership on this very important issue in the period immediately ahead, with a view to reaffirming a collective approach that is consistent with the Stormont House Agreement.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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397. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans for an independent information commission for information retrieval similar to that contained in the Stormont House Agreement 2014. [34597/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement, which was collectively agreed by the two Governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland after extensive talks.

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 UK 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 UK Government, 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 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, and we remain in ongoing contact to support a way forward on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement legacy bodies, including the ICIR.