Irish government explains why it won't share information with ICRIR on Troubles related murders
The Irish government has explained why it won’t share information on terrorist murders with Northern Ireland's Troubles investigations body.
At the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee week Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) Commissioner Peter Sheridan said Dublin had not responded to requests for information on 10 murders, while Chief Commissioner Sir Declan Morgan said it had made clear it would not cooperate until the UK passes legislation reforming the ICRIR.
DUP MP Gavin Robinson criticised how the Northern Ireland Office was handling the lack of cooperation, noting Irish minister Helen McEntee's said there would be "no information sharing” until its legal action against the UK over its handling of legacy matters concluded.
Commenting afterwards, Jeffrey Dudgeon of the Malone House Group legacy campaign group, said this showed Dublin was using the legal case "to leverage its influence over the ICRIR", which he described as "outrageous".
He also questioned why Dublin was challenging the UK over legacy-related amnesties when Dublin “has run a terrorist amnesty for decades".
The Irish Department of Justice responded that the Joint Framework on Legacy agreed by the UK and Irish governments in September 2025 marked "a welcome return to a partnership approach" after the Tory government set up the ICRIR without consulting it.
It said Dublin would give "the fullest possible cooperation" with a reformed ICRIR and that Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has already published legislative proposals to do so.
The Garda said its Troubles Legacy Liaison Unit has already begun “engaging” with the ICRIR while the legal basis for information sharing is established.
The ICRIR says the unit has so far refused to share information.