Recommendation 24

We welcome the commitment to cooperation on legacy between the UK Government and the Government of Ireland. Ireland now needs to demonstrate its own commitment to establishing and completing human rights-compliant investigations, underpinned by legislation. There is a lack of clarity on the remit, independence and oversight of the proposed legacy unit in the Garda. Victim-survivors and other stakeholders will no doubt look for the establishment as soon as possible of structures comparable to those in the UK, to ensure confidence in the legacy process as a whole across the UK and Ireland. Dublin has stated that it needs to wait for London to implement its human rights-compliant structures before establishing its own. Noting that both governments are signatories to the ECHR, we would urge Dublin to move at pace to show their commitment and mutual good faith, and maximise confidence and the likelihood of successful outcomes. The lack of progress on the Republic of Ireland’s inquiry into the Omagh bombing remains a profound obstacle to uncovering the full truth. It continues to cause deep hurt for many and represents a serious failure of accountability. We have reservations about the Memorandum of 85 Understanding on the Inquiry which the Government of Ireland has agreed, and we do not believe it is a sustainable position for the Government to await its outworkings to determine whether our concerns are confirmed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 204) Reconciliation