Irish government 'reassured' over changes to Troubles' legacy bill

The Irish government is "absolutely reassured" that proposed changes to London's Troubles legacy bill will be in line with previous joint commitments to victims, the Irish foreign minister has said.

Helen McEntee was speaking after meeting Secretary of State Hilary Benn on Thursday to discuss both governments' efforts to address the legacy of the past.

London and Dublin agreed a joint framework last September ahead of the UK government starting its bid to replace the previous legacy act.

The move was criticised by all parties and victims' groups in Northern Ireland.

The government has faced pressure from veterans and some MPs who have said the legislation does not go far enough when it comes to protections for veterans.

Earlier this week, the government passed a carry-over motion allowing the bill to continue its passage through Parliament after prorogation, but it is not clear when exactly it will be debated by MPs.

Ahead of Thursday's meeting, McEntee wrote a piece in the Belfast Telegraph saying she was "disappointed" at how long it was taking Parliament to progress the legacy bill.

Asked by reporters if this meant she had concerns about changes the government is planning to its legislation, she said she had been reassured by the UK government at their meeting and that they needed to now focus on delivering on their joint commitments.

The Irish government has said it is planning to bring legislation to the Dail (Irish Parliament) with its own mechanisms to address legacy, but has said this is contingent on the UK government's bill processing.

The latest session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference took place in Hillsborough Castle.

Asked if Labour was struggling with legacy just as previous UK administrations had, Benn said the government had a "duty and a responsibility to make sure that those who serve the state to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe are properly treated during the legacy process".

He said he believed there is a "consensus" between the two governments and that passing Labour's legacy legislation was the "last chance" to deal with the past.

"What's come through today's meeting is we are absolutely determined to get this done, and for each of us to play our part in fulfilling the commitments we made when that framework agreement was signed," added the Northern Ireland secretary.

Earlier this week, DUP leader Gavin Robinson called on the government to scrap the bill and start again, arguing that victims and veterans would not have confidence in what has been proposed.

Sinn Féin has also been critical of the government's approach to the matter, saying that delay in progressing the legislation "displays no thought or empathy for families", but rather is designed to "placate the British military lobby and the interests of security and intelligence agencies".

The new plan involves a Legacy Commission to investigate Troubles-related killings, a separate information recovery body, and a dedicated legacy unit within An Garda Síochána (Irish police).