The UK and Ireland have held “blunt, frank and positive” talks over controversial legislation to deal with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s Troubles, according to Simon Coveney.
Senior officials from both sides have been asked to explore what changes could be made to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister added.
The Bill before the UK Parliament seeks to establish a new information retrieval body to review deaths and other harmful conduct during the Troubles – defined as the period from January 1 1966 to April 10 1998.
It proposes an effective amnesty for Troubles crimes for those who co-operate with a new information body.
The Bill also seeks to bring to an end inquests that have not reached an advanced stage and prevent future inquests into Troubles-related deaths.
There is almost universal opposition to the proposed legislation, with Northern Irish MPs and victims’ groups among those strongly voicing their concerns.
Mr Coveney said the issue of legacy must be resolved “with consensus”, saying there has been criticism of the UK Government’s “unilateral” approach.
He told reporters in London: “We’ve had some good conversations about this. They’ve been blunt, frank and positive and we have now tasked our senior officials to talk to each other about new approaches that we believe we could support and work together with the British Government on, the parties in Northern Ireland and the victims’ groups… let’s see where that process takes us.”
Mr Coveney said it would be easy for him politically to “just to sit back and say we fundamentally disagree with this”.
I'm convinced that the Bill that is currently in the House of Lords - it'll have its second reading in a couple of weeks' time - can be improved— Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris
He added: “But that doesn’t solve the problem and we’re in the business of engaging to try and find a way forward that we believe reflects the concerns of victims and their families, and I hope we can make some progress on that and we will be certainly making an effort to do that.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris earlier said he believes the Bill can be improved.
He said: “I’m convinced that the Bill that is currently in the House of Lords – it’ll have its second reading in a couple of weeks’ time – can be improved.
“Because we do have a very busy legislative agenda as a Government, it’ll take a little time before it gets to its committee stage, where we expect to see amendments, and the Lords is renowned for trying to make wise improvements to legislation and I look forward to seeing what those amendments might bring.”
Mr Heaton-Harris said he is listening to representations from the Irish Government, adding: “We have asked our officials to go away, set those ideas out in plain context and in the fullness of time… I will take a view and if it’s not as widely as accepted as it might be then we’ll have to agree to disagree.
“But I’m willing to look at what the ideas are that all people bring to try and improve the Bill.”
