Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has said he welcomes the UK government's steps to "substantively reform" the controversial Troubles Legacy Act.
In a statement last night, Mr Martin said he "shares the hope" of Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn that the UK and Ireland can agree on a way forward "in a way that is underpinned by the principles set out in the Stormont House Agreement."
"In our discussions, and in his speech to the House of Commons, the Secretary of State has outlined a pathway to substantively reform the Act and that is welcome," Mr Martin said.
"He also reiterated his commitment to ongoing discussions between the British and Irish governments - as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement - on this issue. I fully share this hope. More work remains to be done, and we will continue and intensify discussions to this end," he added.
"As I have stated previously, the key tests for the Irish Government in respect of reforms of the Legacy Act are compliance with the European Convention of Human Rights, and the ability to command the confidence of victims and survivors," Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin also added that he will further discuss the issue with Mr Benn over the following days at the British Irish Council Summit in Edinburgh.
During a speech at the House of Commons, Mr Benn stressed that the UK government is committed to repealing and replacing the Legacy Act.
"This order will remedy all of the human rights deficiencies in the Act identified by the Northern Ireland High Court in February in the case of Dillon and others and one issue from the Court of Appeal judgment in September," he said.
"Specifically, the order will - if adopted by Parliament - remove all provisions from the Act relating to the immunity scheme which, let it not be forgotten, would have enabled any of those who perpetrated the most appalling terrorist crimes to seek immunity from prosecution from the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
"This means individuals will once again be able to bring Troubles-related cases to the civil courts, a basic right denied them by the legacy Act," he added.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, introduced by the previous Conservative government, halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths.
Additional reporting PA
