source: BBC News

published: 15 September 2024

Image Credit: Sourced by 4WardEverUK

It is arguable that if the government has its way it may have just granted, in the case of Pat Finucane, the last public inquiry in respect of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The clue is contained in Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn’s statement to Parliament on Wednesday. In every other case, it seems the aim is to direct bereaved families to a new independent legacy body - but there’s a major problem.

It is struggling to gain support and credibility – and that, for the government, is an issue made more urgent and demanding by the establishment of the Finucane inquiry.

The week started with news that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) has had just 85 enquiries in its first four months.

So far, only eight of them will get investigation status.

For context, the ICRIR has a remit to examine many thousands of incidents between 1969 and the 1998 Belfast Agreement. This can, at the behest of bereaved families and victims, be anything from a straightforward request for information to a full-blown investigation.

Benn points out that the commission has powers “comparable” to those in the Inquiries Act to compel witnesses and secure documents from state bodies.

Its budget could be up to £250m and it can operate for five years or more.

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