Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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221. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of his most recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regarding the need to repeal the legacy legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23106/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Intensive and constructive work has been ongoing since last autumn, at both official and political level, between the Irish and British governments to determine if we can find adequate common ground to move forward together on legacy.

I have been clear that the UK Legacy Act, as it stands, is not fit for purpose. In addressing the legacy of the Troubles, there is a need to develop fit-for-purpose mechanisms to seek truth and justice for victims and their families. We have committed to work towards this in the Programme for Government.

I have had a number of constructive discussions on this issue with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn. On 24 January, in my first call as Tánaiste to the Secretary of State, we committed to focus on making progress on legacy. I had a substantive meeting, primarily focused on legacy issues, with the Secretary of State in Dublin on 26 February, followed by a further discussion on the margins of the Ireland-UK Summit in Liverpool on 6 March.

Most recently, I met with Secretary of State Benn on April 24 at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Hillsborough Castle. We reaffirmed the strong desire to work in partnership and make timely progress so that families can obtain the information and accountability that they deserve and have long sought.

We agreed that any joint approach to legacy will require agreement on all key issues, including: fundamental reform of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to ensure its human rights compliance and to strengthen its practical independence, governance and oversight; the approach to legacy inquests and information retrieval; and the principle of reciprocity.

Throughout these discussions, I have emphasised the need to develop a framework that is compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights and commands the confidence of survivors and victims’ families. In February, I met with Northern Ireland victims’ and survivors’ groups to hear their perspectives on legacy matters. I would like to express my gratitude to them and to all who continue to advocate on behalf of those who suffered terrible trauma and loss during the Troubles.