Ireland commits to cooperate with new Troubles legacy body under cross-border framework

The Republic of Ireland has committed to new legislation to ensure full co-operation with a reformed UK legacy body that will handle Troubles-era cases in Northern Ireland, the two governments said on Friday as part of a broader cross-border framework. The agreement, to be unveiled in the coming days, is billed as a step toward healing a rift over how the past is investigated and addressed.

The plan includes a Garda Síochána legacy unit that will serve as the single point of contact for victims and bereaved families, and a €25 million support fund to assist those affected by the Troubles. It also calls for new legislation in both the United Kingdom and Ireland in the months ahead to implement the changes. Central to the framework is the overhaul of the body that would take over Troubles-era investigations, replacing the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery with a new entity called the Legacy Commission, backed by an oversight board. Irish state agencies, including the Garda, would begin cooperating with investigations under the revised structure, and a separate body would be created to receive information about Troubles-related murders. The two governments say the agreement reflects, in large part, the framework that was agreed in the Stormont House talks in 2014 but never fully implemented.

The legacy framework also aims to repair a rift created by the UK’s 2023 Legacy and Reconciliation Act, which established the ICRIR to take over cases from May 1, 2024 and, in some versions of the plan, offered conditional immunity in exchange for information. That immunity provision was later ruled unlawful in court and drew criticism from Labour and many Northern Ireland parties, as well as the Irish government, who argued it did not adequately protect victims’ rights. London and Dublin had already been negotiating a reset of legacy issues since the UK general election last year, and officials say the new framework could mark a more structured path forward, even as it requires new legislation in both capitals.

The two governments will need to pass new laws in the UK and Ireland to implement the changes, and victims groups have been briefed on the draft framework. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and the Irish deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, are slated to jointly launch the agreement, with Harris describing the process as “an imperfect opportunity” to address the Troubles’ legacy.

Image: UK-Ireland legacy framework

Behind the move lies a long-running dispute about how to handle past killings and abuses. The UK’s 2023 act faced sharp opposition from Labour and many victims’ groups, and Ireland pursued a separate inter‑state case at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Legal battles and political disagreements helped postpone a comprehensive framework for years, and victims’ representatives have repeatedly urged that any mechanism be independent, transparent, and centered on truth-telling and accountability.

Emmett McConomy, whose 11-year-old brother Stephen was killed by a soldier during the Londonderry Troubles in 1982, cautioned that any new framework must meet the needs of all victims. Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle ahead of Friday’s announcement, he said he hoped the framework would bring “positive change” and be a step in the right direction. But he also voiced concern about the level of consultation with victims, saying, “Without proper buy-in from victims, this could sadly be doomed to fail.” He added that transparency, integrity, independence, and a genuine willingness to pursue the truth must be at the heart of any new mechanism.

The framework’s designers say the new structures and funding are intended to provide a clearer pathway for victims and families seeking information about past abuses, while restoring confidence in cross-border cooperation on legacy issues. Officials stressed that the opposition to the old act and the legal challenges under the Windsor Framework shaped the revised approach, which seeks to balance accountability with avenues for information and reconciliation.

As Friday’s public launch approaches, observers note that the framework remains contingent on securing domestic legislation in both countries and on sustained engagement with survivors and communities affected by decades of violence. Proponents say the initiative signals a fresh start in addressing a painful chapter of recent history, while critics warn that real progress will depend on how letters of cooperation are translated into practical investigations, disclosures, and access to information.

Image: Garda legacy unit

Image: Northern Ireland reaction

Officials say the two governments’ effort to reset legacy issues comes as both sides remain committed to delivering a process that victims’ groups can trust and that is capable of producing a coherent narrative of the Troubles era, even as questions about scope, timelines, and remedies continue to be debated. Friday’s joint launch by Benn and Harris will mark a formal moment in a process that has spanned years and crossed multiple political and legal fronts, with the goal of turning difficult history into a mechanism for accountability, reconciliation, and better future cross-border cooperation.