London and Dublin 'close' to new Troubles agreement

Hilary Benn appeared before a sitting of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday

The UK and Irish governments are "close" to a new agreement on dealing with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles, a committee of MPs has been told.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said Dublin's support will be "a very significant and beneficial step".

The Irish government, along with all of Northern Ireland's political parties and victims' groups, oppose the existing UK Legacy Act. A replacement act is in the process of being drafted.

Appearing before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Benn did not indicate when a deal might be announced.

He repeated the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will remain, but be substantially reformed.

This will include setting up an oversight board, the power to hold some hearings in public and introducing clearer rules around managing conflicts of interest.

'Confidence' in ICRIR leadership

Several ICRIR employees are former Royal Ulster Constabulary officers, including its lead investigator, Peter Sheridan.

Recently, Alyson Kilpatrick, the head of the NI Human Rights Commission, questioned his independence and believed his position is "untenable".

Benn told the committee: "Lots of people say lots of things.

"They are not things I have said. I have confidence in the leadership of the commission.

"I don't think it helps to attack people."

Former senior police officer Peter Sheridan serves as the ICRIR's commissioner for investigations

The government has pledged to reinstate troubles related inquests which failed to complete by a deadline imposed by the Legacy Act.

But this might be confined to a minority - only those which had previously opened.

Mr Benn also said former soldiers could be excused from attending any resumed inquests in person and be able to provide evidence remotely.

"With modern technology, there's no reason why veterans should have to travel to Northern Ireland to answer questions," he said.

What is the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act?

The act was passed by the Conservative government in September 2023 despite opposition from Labour, all Northern Ireland parties, several victims' groups and the Irish government.

It created a new legacy body known ICRIR to take over all Troubles-era cases from 1 May 2024, including those on the desk of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The act shut down all historical inquests.

The act's most controversial element, the offer of conditional immunity to suspects, was disapplied following legal action by bereaved families.

More than 3,500 people lost their lives during the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland

The court ruled this part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.

Last summer, the Labour government wrote to the Belfast courts abandoning an appeal against the striking out of the amnesty clause in the legislation.

In December, the secretary of state formally started the process to repeal the act, but as well as prompting a backlash from veterans who do not want to see the law repealed, he was criticised by some political parties and victims' groups for not moving quickly enough.