LAST UPDATE | 20 Sep 2023

US PRESIDENT JOE Biden asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar if there was anyway he could help with the situation involving the UK’s Legacy Bill. 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin updated Biden on Northern Ireland, including concerns about the UK Legacy Bill, when they spoke with him in New York last night.

The leaders met at the Host Country Welcoming Reception for Heads of Delegation to the United Nations at their High-Level week. 

Speaking to reporters about what he said was a brief meeting with the president, Varadkar said Biden is very much appraised of Irish issues and “wanted to know if there’s any way that he can help”. 

The Taoiseach said he told the US president that Ireland had “no specific asked at the moment”.

Varadkar said he told Biden that he was very happy that the president is continuing to keep abreast of issues impacting Ireland

Martin confirmed to reporters in New York today that the Attorney General legal advice on Ireland taking a case against the United Kingdom over the enactment of the Legacy Bill will be brought to government within two weeks.

“I hope that they would have the legal advices within the next two weeks, if not sooner,” he said.

Varadkar said yesterday:

“We have a significant decision to make as a government now in the next few weeks as to whether we take an interstate case to the European Court of Human Rights or not.

“There’s a legal question as to whether it makes best sense to support the case of a victim or to bring our own interstate case, we’ll have to decide which case would be the strongest.

“And then secondly, obviously, there’s a political question, because it’s not a good thing to have to take your neighbour to court, but what’s being done, I think, is profoundly profoundly wrong,” he added. 

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Martin said today that he was in a position to speak to US administration and White House officials at the Biden event, where he said officials were “anxious” he provide an update on the Legacy Bill. 

He outlined to the US officials that Ireland was taking legal advice on a possible case being taken, adding that he told them that “we would apply to rigor and diligence, in terms of how we approach this now, in terms of next steps”. 

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is opposed by victims’ groups and political parties in the North.

The Bill, which has been enacted, includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the Northern Ireland Troubles and also prevents future civil cases and inquests into legacy offences.

Political Correspondent Christina Finn will be reporting from the United Nations General Assembly throughout the week.