Irish government failure to pass files to legacy body 'extremely frustrating'

Irish government failure to pass files to legacy body 'extremely frustrating' centers on complaints that Irish authorities have not provided information to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). Sir Declan Morgan, chief commissioner, told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster that the government’s stance is “extremely frustrating” for bereaved families and for staff at the commission. The ICRIR, created under the UK’s Legacy Act by the previous Conservative government, was to be reformed through a joint framework agreed with Ireland, but the changes have not yet been enacted in parliament. Ireland has committed to engage and share information only once reforms become law, arguing the current format is not human-rights compliant. Earlier this month, the commission wrote to the Garda eight times requesting information for cases involving 10 murders and received no responses. Morgan said delays are affecting cases because victims and survivors expect Ireland to provide information, and he added that it remains unclear whether Ireland would grant the same access to sensitive documents as in dealings with UK agencies. The hearing also covered a critical review by Peter May, identifying a “toxic” and “divided” culture.