Martin ‘not yet convinced’ Labour will fully repeal Legacy Act

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said he is not yet convinced that the new Labour Government will fully repeal the previous administration’s controversial Act to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Mr Martin said that there had to be a new framework to deal with legacy which included an investigative as well as an information retrieval arm.

He also backed calls by the family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown for a public inquiry into his death.

Labour has said that it will repeal the Legacy Act which was introduced by the Tories and which halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said he will restore inquests and civil cases but has also pledged to retain the the truth recovery body established by the Act – the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The establishment of the Commission was criticised by the families of Troubles victims and political parties in Northern Ireland.

Last week, Mr Benn announced that a public inquiry would be established into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, who was shot dead in front of his family at their Belfast home in 1989.

However, he rejected a call for a similar inquiry into the murder of Mr Brown in 1997 and has advised the family to speak to the ICRIR.

Mr Martin told RTE’s Morning Ireland programme that he wanted to see a public inquiry into the killing.

He added: “I see the dilemmas generally in relation to legacy.

“I think we lost about four years with the British Conservative government’s decision to unilaterally develop a new Legacy Act.

“The current government is saying it is going to repeal and replace that.

“I’ve entered into discussions with Hilary Benn on that.”

Mr Martin said: “I am backing the (Brown) family, and I’m also backing a stronger Legacy Act, which would have an investigative arm to it as well as an information retrieval arm.

“That’s the key issue, because there’s many people out there, there are many victims of Provisional IRA violence, that have had absolutely no closure in 25 years, (victims) of loyalist paramilitaries that have no closure and of state collusion.”

He added: “So, what I’m pushing for with Hilary Benn is once and for all can we get a legacy act, can we get a legacy framework.”

Mr Martin was asked if he was convinced Labour would repeal the Legacy Act.

He said: “I’m not convinced yet.

“I think the discussions we have had suggest that they’re mulling over the nature of the reforms of the ICRIR, which is the body that has been created in the last Act, which many victims groups have concerns about.”

The Irish Government has brought an interstate legal case against the UK, claiming the new legacy laws breach the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Mr Martin said: “It (the legal challenge) is still active.

“The British government has indicated that they will be bringing forward legislation to amend the act and to also put flesh on the bone of the proposals that they’ve already announced.”