Letter: Irish government needs finally to live up to past commitments and begin investigating state collusion with the IRA

The republic of Ireland government is in no position to lecture anyone on legacy (‘Unionists and London have consistently failed to challenge Ireland's repeated criticisms of the UK on legacy,’ Ben Lowry, June 10, see link below).

The deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland government Micheal Martin TD, on continuing to raise concerns and put pressure on the government of the United Kingdom with regard to the legacy bill that is passing through the House of Lords has welcomed a Council of Europe’s interim resolution expressing serious concerns about the Legacy bill. He stated that any way forward must be based on human rights with victims at its centre.

I have news for Mr. Martin, as part of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement the Republic of Ireland gave an undertaking to look at issues of legacy on their side of the border and investigate the many instances of state collusion by the Garda, Irish Army, judiciary, the Irish government and ministers. It has now been 25 years since the agreement has come into force, when is the Irish government going to finally live up to past commitments and begin investigating, in a through and meticulous way, the many acts of state collusion that without a shadow of doubt took place on their side of the border?

Only when this is complete with victims at its centre receiving the justice they seek and rightly deserve can the Irish government have the credibility to make any statements on legacy.

Stevan Patterson, Castlederg Co. Tyrone

Ben Lowry: Unionists and London have consistently failed to challenge Ireland's repeated criticisms of the UK on legacy