Benn defends collaboration with Irish Government over legacy issues
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said he will make no apology for working with the Irish Government on legacy issues after the leader of the DUP launched a stinging attack on his approach.
Mr Benn was responding after Gavin Robinson branded the UK Government minister as 'foolish and hapless' in relation to his handling of efforts to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
Mr Robinson claimed Mr Benn's actions amounted to a 'disgraceful' attempt to 'satisfy the Irish Government'.
The Northern Ireland Secretary was asked about the remarks as he attended a meeting of the British Irish Council in Newcastle, Co Down on Friday.
'I make no apology at all for trying to work with the Irish Government, because the lesson, indeed exemplified by the Good Friday Agreement, is we make most progress when we work together,' he said.
'And that is what I'm determined to do in the interests of truth and reconciliation and, finally, giving answers to families who have suffered so much.'
Mr Robinson's hard-hitting statement on Friday morning came amid mounting expectation that the two governments will soon set out an agreed framework for addressing legacy issues related to the Northern Ireland conflict.
Also responding to the DUP leader's criticism, Irish premier Micheal Martin and deputy premier Simon Harris both moved to defend Mr Benn as they praised his efforts to work with their Government to try to resolve outstanding issues around unsolved murder cases and families who continue to seek truth and justice for lost loved ones.
They also rejected Mr Robinson's assertion that the Dublin government has adopted a 'scandalous approach to legacy' in failing to rigorously investigate and provide answers on atrocities with a cross-border dimension.
The DUP leader made his statement after Mr Benn announced the appointment of a chair to lead a public inquiry into the 1989 loyalist murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.
Mr Robinson believes the Finucane case is indicative of a government approach that sees the 'distasteful elevation' of some high-profile cases while countless other victims still await answers with no prospect of public inquiries.
The DUP leader claimed 'Hapless Hilary' was pursing this stance while continuing to keep private any details on what he was negotiating with the Irish Government.
'The Irish Government have knowledge of and influence upon UK legacy plans, yet Northern Ireland victims, veterans and Parliamentarians are kept in the dark by the Secretary of State without so much as a blush on his face,' he said.
'Not for the first time, he advances a one-sided, partisan approach to the politics of Northern Ireland.'
Since taking office last year, the Labour Government has pledged to repeal and replace some of the provisions of the contentious Legacy Act that was introduced by the last Conservative government, and bring forward a revised framework for dealing with cases linked to the Troubles.
The Irish Government has been involved in the process, and political leaders in Dublin have said intensive engagement is ongoing to see if a 'landing zone' can be arrived at.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 halted scores of civil cases and inquests into Troubles deaths and also offered conditional immunity to perpetrators of conflict-related crimes in exchange for their co-operation with a new investigatory and truth recovery body.
The Act was opposed by all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, the Irish government and many victims' representative groups.
In 2023, the Irish government initiated an interstate legal case against the UK in the European Court of Human Rights, claiming the Legacy Act breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The case remains active, with ministers in Dublin wanting to see how Labour resolves its concerns over the legislation before any decision is taken to withdraw the action.
Mr Benn told reporters in Newcastle that it was incumbent on all political leaders to finally secure agreement on legacy.
'Legacy is the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement,' he said. 'It was the issue which the Good Friday Agreement, which achieved so much, was unable to take forward.
'And I would simply say we, all of us, as politicians, as leaders, have a responsibility to try and find a way forward so that we can bring truth and justice for everyone, in particular for the families who, after decades, are still waiting for answers as to what happened to their loved ones when they were murdered.'
At the press conference after the BIC, Mr Martin made a point of backing Mr Benn's stance.
'I firstly want to pay tribute to the Secretary of State for his honesty, his determination in the way he has pursued this issue of legacy, and indeed many other issues since he became Secretary of State,' he said.
'And we have welcomed his very open and determined approach. I would never question his bona fides in doing the very best for the people of Northern Ireland, and in terms of ensuring a very strong relationship between British and Irish Governments.'
Mr Harris, who also attended the BIC summit, said the Governments were 'close to a way forward on legacy'.
The Tanaiste added: 'And what I would say to Gavin, respectfully, and I said this to him when I met him, the country that I represent will play our part as well in relation to legacy, and we've shown that already on a number of occasions, and we will absolutely in any legacy framework want to make sure that all victims, all families, regardless of where on the island of Ireland an atrocity occurs, can get answers, can get truth, and can, of course, get justice where possible.'
DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly echoed the sentiments expressed by her party leader as she answered questions on the controversy following the BIC.
'I think there's a lot to be critical about in terms of the approach to legacy by the Secretary of State,' she said.
Ms Little-Pengelly said many of the issues Mr Benn was considering related to matters that were devolved to Stormont.
She added: 'For our part, we are absolutely clear that all victims should get access to justice. All victims should feel very clearly in our system that their loved ones mattered equally.
'Unfortunately, we've had a number of announcements on part of legacy, but not on the rest, and that leaves many victims and survivors concerned about what's happening in relation to that.'
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