Dublin double standards on legacy, says DUP, while NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris says Republic of Ireland's legal challenge is ‘misguided’

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson – joined by fellow unionists and the UK government at large – has mauled the Irish government over its record on terrorism, after the Dublin state launched a legal bid to overturn the amnesty for Troubles crimes.

In a move which has the makings of a major diplomatic schism between the UK and the Republic, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had “no choice” but to ask the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to judicially review the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act.

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris called the decision “misguided”.

Following a number of high-profile prosecutions of former soldiers over alleged murders in recent years, the Tory government pushed the act through and made it law in September, effectively ending all police investigations and inquests concerning Troubles crimes – to the ire of both unionists and nationalists.

But whilst he is against the amnesty, Sir Jeffrey also had strong words for Mr Varadkar.

“I think there are double standards on the part of the Irish government here,” he said.

“Whilst I am strongly opposed to the government’s amnesty plans – we voted against it, we spoke against it and we continue to oppose it – I don’t think the Irish government are in a very strong position to point the finger at the UK government because the Irish government have no proposals to deal with the legacy issues.

“For years effectively there has been a form of amnesty in the Irish Republic because they have not actively pursued those responsible for these crimes.”

This was closely echoed by Mr Heaton-Harris, who said: “At no time since 1998 has there been any concerted or sustained attempt on the part of the Irish state to pursue a criminal investigation and prosecution-based approach to the past.”

He also demanded to know “the number of criminal prosecutions brought in Ireland since 1998 relating to Troubles cases”.

But for Rosaleen Dalton, whose father Sean and two others were killed in an IRA booby trap bomb in 1988, Dublin’s action is “a great decision”, adding “our families have nowhere to go” under the current amnesty.

Speaking to the BBC last night, Sir Jeffrey went on to further criticise the Dublin government, saying: “Where are their proposals to deal with legacy?

“What are they going to do? Are they going to pursue criminal justice investigations into the murders committed in their jurisdiction, which include the murder of gardai, of Irish Army soldiers, of innocent civilians?

“And of course many UK citizens murdered in Northern Ireland as a result of actions carried out by the IRA using the Republic of Ireland as their base.”

He added: “I think it is difficult to see how this can improve relations between the UK government and the Irish government at this time.”

In a similar vein, TUV leader Jim Allister said: “Whereas the legacy Act is wrong, primarily in affording amnesty, the international legal action by the Republic is shameless hostile meddling in UK legislation from a state which sustained and gave sanctuary to IRA terrorists over decades, and which continues to operate effective amnesty ...

“The hands of the Republic drips in the blood of border Protestants murdered by those to which it afforded sanctuary.”

Meanwhile, Kenny Donaldson from the Troubles victims’ group the South East Fermanagh Foundation, said Dublin’s move “must now be the catalyst for an ending of that state’s policy of denial on legacy and signal its willingness to now come clean on its acts of commission and omission”.

“The Irish state must cease its rank hypocrisy on legacy – it is not a sustainable position for that state to act as quality-proofers for what ‘the Brits’ do or don’t do.”