Swann Calls Out Irish Government’s Lack of Cooperation on Legacy

At today’s Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee evidence session on Peter May’s recent report into the culture of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), Robin Swann MP questioned Sir Declan Morgan and Peter Sheridan from the ICRIR, as well as Holly Clark from the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), on the impact of a lack of cooperation from the Irish Government.

The South Antrim MP asked the witnesses:

"Sir Declan and Peter, you’ve both mentioned the frustrations due to the lack of engagement from the Irish Government and how that fed into the frustrations within the organisation. Maybe you’d want to unpack what an unsettling impact that actually has.

"We’ve been told the Garda has set up their own unit. Some of us are aware they’re not engaging… did that play into some of the difficulties within the organisation?"

Chief Commissioner Sir Declan Morgan confirmed to Mr Swann that this has affected the way the organisation has been able to develop. He noted that a group of cases have not been able to be brought to the Commission because the victims and survivors involved do not believe they will get the answers to their questions unless the Republic of Ireland plays its role in providing information.

Commissioner for Investigations Peter Sheridan added that he has written eight letters regarding ten deaths to the Irish Government but is yet to receive a response. Mr Sheridan said that the process has been further frustrated by the referral of cases to the ICRIR from the Republic of Ireland regarding deaths which took place in the Republic of Ireland. These cannot be progressed without assistance from the Irish Government.

The Northern Ireland Office Chief Operating Officer, Holly Clark, said the NIO is aware of these issues and insisted they are working closely with the ICRIR and their counterparts in the Irish Government. Ms Clark also welcomed the publication of the Irish legislation and the "landmark" agreement of the joint framework, but said the Government is in a "difficult situation" waiting for the legislation to progress.

When Mr Swann put to the NIO the fact that eight letters from Mr Sheridan to the Irish Government have gone unanswered, Ms Clark said the NIO acknowledges these frustrations and stated they are the sort of thing they are raising with their Irish counterparts.

Speaking after the committee session, Robin Swann MP said:

"The revelation that eight separate letters regarding ten deaths have been met with complete silence from the Irish Government is deeply concerning. Victims and survivors deserve answers, but they are being left in limbo because of this total lack of cooperation from Dublin. The NIO needs to move past acknowledging frustrations and start securing real transparency from their Irish counterparts."