The UK government’s proposal would add to years of uncertainty and misery for victims and their families
• Simon Coveney is Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs and minister for defence
Dealing with the legacy of the Troubles is not easy, but there are no shortcuts. In 2014, the UK and Irish governments and Northern Ireland parties came together and negotiated a comprehensive and balanced framework for dealing with the legacy of the past – the Stormont House agreement.
That agreement allowed for proper independent investigations and prosecutions where possible. It also proposed the establishment of an independent international mechanism so people could come forward and tell what they knew without that information being used against them in court. It allowed for oral history initiatives and acknowledgment.
