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THE TAOISEACH HAS said the Government will not immediately drop its legal case against the UK government over the controversial Troubles Legacy Act following Labour’s general election victory.
Simon Harris said he wanted to work with newly-elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to develop a victim-centred approach to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
The controversial Troubles Legacy Act came into effect on 1 May.
It saw ongoing investigations for unresolved Troubles deaths moved from the PSNI to a new truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
The Police Ombudsman will not take on any new investigations relating to Troubles incidents, new civil litigation are barred and inquests into Troubles deaths which have not concluded oral hearings were stopped.
The Irish Government has launched an interstate legal case against the UK, claiming that the Act breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. That case is still to be heard.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party previously said it would repeal the Act if it came to power and wants to return to the legacy principles set out in the Stormont House Agreement.
In an interview with Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, Harris said he did not ask Starmer when he would scrap the Legacy Act during their first phone conversation on Friday.
'Members of the incoming British government have a very good sense of Northern Ireland'. @SimonHarrisTD tells @SMurphyTV that @Keir_Starmer is a man of "integrity" when it comes to the Good Friday Agreement. #TrevorPhillips https://t.co/fhIHlpTGAF
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 7, 2024
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/Qu8MwlLSKv
“I did indicate the willingness of my government to work with the British government and with parties in Northern Ireland in relation to legacy,” Harris said.
“I welcome the commitments that the incoming British government has given in relation to replacing the Legacy Act.”
The Taoiseach was also asked if Ireland would now drop its inter-state case against the UK.
“Well no, I think we need to take this step-by-step,” he said.
“We obviously have, in fairness, a British prime minister who is just about in the door of Downing Street in the last couple of days, new ministers have only been appointed.
“I’m very respectful of that reality. I welcome the commitment that the British government has now given in relation to legacy, and let’s see where that brings us in the time ahead.”
However, Harris said he did not think Starmer would need to be pushed on his promise to repeal the Legacy Act.
“He’s given a very clear commitment in relation to legacy. I’m giving a very clear indication back that we’re happy to work with the British government on legacy,” he said.
Legacy is so important and it has to be victim-centred, it has to be human rights based, and it has to provide answers and justice for people who’ve experienced terrible atrocities.
“We also have to listen to the parties in Northern Ireland in relation to getting this right.”
Harris said there is “no doubt” that members of the new British government have a very good sense of Northern Ireland and said Starmer is very familiar with the region himself.
He also welcomed the appointment of Hilary Benn as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
He described Benn as “a very experienced, serious politician who, again, knows Northern Ireland, knows Ireland, and knows the importance of the relationship between the two islands”.
On the prospect of a unity referendum, Harris said: “I just don’t think it arises currently.
“The Good Friday Agreement allows us both have those legitimate, differing aspirations, and there’s a structure in place to address that.
“For me, though, the focus and priority isn’t on a referendum, the focus on priority has to be on delivery.”
He said his constitutional aspiration for the future is for a united Ireland, but “it doesn’t arise today”.
“What arises right now is a moment to reset Anglo-Irish relations after what was a very turbulent period of time, and I’m very excited about the opportunities that that presents.”
One of Starmer’s first phone calls following his election was to Harris, during which he invited him to Downing Street on 17 July, which he accepted.
The Taoiseach said one of the priorities of his meeting with the Labour leader would be discussing ways of improving the structures for engagement between the two leaders following Brexit.
'If Keir Starmer proves to be a good friend to Ireland, would you reciprocate by being a strong voice & ally to the UK within the EU?' - @SMurphyTV
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 7, 2024
'It is important that Britain and the EU continue to be good neighbours' - @SimonHarrisTD#TrevorPhillips pic.twitter.com/aaqoHNepQB
“It used to be that whoever the Irish Taoiseach and British prime minister was would meet regularly through their membership of the European Union… Those structures obviously aren’t there now,” he said.
“I respect that fact. But we do need to look for new ways of making sure that regular engagement happens.”
He went on to say that the British Irish relationship is “really strong”.
“At the end of the day, we’re neighbours, we’re friends, in many cases we’re family as well.
There’s an opportunity now, a real opportunity that we must seize and that the next generation will never forgive us for if we don’t, to press reset, to say yes it’s been a difficult few years, but you know what? We have so much more in common than divides us.
“We have so many issues of mutual concern. We are two islands side-by-side. Let’s work together and let’s fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement, a Good Friday Agreement that I know is very much in the DNA of the British Labour Party.
Harris also said Ireland would be an ally in any discussions the UK had in improving its relationship with the European Union.
Referring to Brexit, he said: “That decision has been made and my understanding is there’s no British government that intends to revisit that in any manner or means.
“However, it is obviously important that Britain and the European Union continue to be good neighbours and it is absolutely in Ireland’s interest that we facilitate that in every way we can around any European table.”
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As per usual zero mention of the large pro-life march that took place in Dublin yesterday, very predictable. The only demos the Irish media covers to any extent are the ones given the nod of approval by their political masters, otherwise it never happened!
@Jonn: nah just everyone is sick of hearing the religious nuts still whining about someone’s given right to choose what they do with their own bodies depending on their circumstances or situation, the voters spoke, get over it, glad it gets not much air time
@CP: I’m pro choice. But give it a break on the ” right to choose what they want to do with their own bodies”. You’ll be quick enough to take away the ” right” if people refuse vaccinations or when people inject drugs into their bodies.
@Jonn: the social dinosaurs lost the referendum, get used to it.
@Pat Hazzard:
Not really the point, thousands of people coming onto the streets to campaign for something is surely newsworthy, whether you agree with them or not? And it should be the role of a fair and unbiased media to inform people of the event,and maybe interview one or two of the participants! If a couple of dozen feminists or LGBT people show up at the gates of the Dail they’d be outnumbered by media hanging on their every word, waiting to report it. It’s why the media have less and less credibility, and are often greeted by hostility when they venture outside their air-conditioned offices,they don’t report the news,they pick and choose what stories suit their usually leftist agenda!
@Jonn: Their campaign is for something that was recently proven to be against the will of the majority. What’s newsworthy about it?
It isn’t going to instigate change since we already know the public are against it so it’s just a loud minority who feel very strongly about an issue.
@Rochelle Hart:
I don’t even know where to begin with that argument, it defies logic,but try this for starters..since all the evidence shows that a clear majority of people oppose large chunks of the Green, zero carbon, anti-car agenda and Green parties rarely poll more than about 10% in elections, then by your own logic the media can immediately stop bombarding us with environmentalist propaganda?Yes? No?
@Pat Hazzard: Social dinosaurs? Funny that but wasn’t the new FF Minister for Finance one of those dinosaurs who campaigned against said referendum. Indeed he was. Plenty of dinosaurs still in the FF ranks ‘ Pat’ . Lol
Messiah Harris won’t be in long enough to do anything. Holidays now until late September then budget, then elections. Voila his short lived term is over!! Hallelujah!!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: In fairness as much as I want to see FF/FG out on their as ses. I think Simon has done alright. Given a choice of him or Mary Lou I would genuinely rather him
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: with SF/IRA continuing to lose support (down 4 to 18) its very clear now FG and FF will form the next Govt.
@Ger Whelan: I see what you are saying Ger. Simon loves to rule by social media which I think is being unfair to those who are not on social media. I think we would be jumping the gun in including either of them as next Taoiseach!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: were not jumping the gun. It’s either going to be Simon Harris or Mary lou leading after the next election. If it’s to be a FF/FG lead government Simon isn’t going to stand down and given Michael Martin the first turn as Taoiseach. If it’s a FF/SF lead government then Mary Lou take the First turn. No other party will get enough seats so it’s definitely between those 3 to form a coalition government.
@Pat Hazzard: How wonderful the “LGBT party” are… I mean FFG, where pensioners freeze in winter and children are waiting for scoliosis surgery year on year and the dearest incomplete children’s hospital in the world. Affordable housing for €450,000, and you type keep on voting them in and are happy to do so, sad person!
@Terry Molloy:
It just shows how controlled and compliant the Irish media are that the ongoing mother of all balls-ups that is the children’s hospital gets so little coverage! In other countries it would have ended political careers and maybe even brought down government’s!
@Ger Whelan: has done alright?! He has done less than nothing.
@Terry Molloy: hear hear fine Gael = wait lists, homelessness, streets in ruins, banging on at anyone in Sinn Fein for opening their mouths.
Good to hear. Improved relations will benefit everyone except the toddlers ranting in The Mail or on GBeebies. We’re so interconnected on so many levels. Rational grown up decisions that benefit the most people are the order of the day. It’s early days but it looks like far more of a possibility now the Tory clowns are gone.
@SerotoninWars: Couldn’t agree more. Well said.
@honey badger: Thanks HB. So many seismic changes are happening right now and as much as we still carry that historical baggage at times, there’s a time to face the challenges of your own era. It’s great to see the UK not head further to the right even if Farage and co are lurking. There are so many authoritarians rubbing their hands in glee at the direction of travel in many democratic countries. They’ve entire units and massive teams dedicated to stirring up unrest globally. Yeah our systems aren’t perfect but it’s shocking how many people are seemingly happy to do Putin’s bidding. There’s a lot of work to do as the far right are on the march and as history proves, once they get in, it’s not so easy to get them out. So well played UK, that was a shot in the arm for a little more rationality and sober thinking. We’ll need as much of this as possible if Trump gets in and other countries head further right.
@SerotoninWars:
Agree with most of your points but one point is getting lost in the euphoria of labour’s win.
Even though the Tories have been a complete clown show for the last decade if they had sorted out there differences with Reform they would have won the election, their combined vote was well above labour.
Even though labour have a massive majority only 1 in 3 voted for them.
@P. J.: Chris Johns addressed this on Eamon Dunphy’s podcast last week. Basically saying that it wasn’t as simple as adding the reform and Tory votes together as different criteria and voting patterns would have been present if Reform hadn’t been in the picture. But I do get the point that this isn’t an overwhelming majority in the sense that most of the population voted for Labour. There are a lot of unhappy campers and extremism is far from banished. But right now we have to take the wins where we can get them. Any major democracy returning a more centrist or left of centre government is to be celebrated. I know very few will be entirely happy no matter who gets into power. Also appreciate that the jury is out on Starmer on several issues but it’s a massive upgrade on the Tories and progress not perfection is the best we can hope for right now.
@SerotoninWars: while not remotely supporting the reform party they did better in UK than the 5 MPs elected would suggest. Also I’d certainly accuse the left in UK of being authoritarian in their treatment of Farage. For a long time In uk in recent years it was only acceptable to have certain opinions, especially around the Eu
Still, I’m glad the Tories got a hammering
@P. J.: honestly eve with relatively ok ISH Starmer at the helm, I was expecting lib Dems to do even better the people there seem to have the same hidden distrust of that party as people do with SF here locally. Of course, not voting SF results as ever in a boost for the blueshirts, a point seemingly lost on the Irish (I’m talking about ones who actually care about the harsh realities of life in Ireland for eating, renting, health)
Simon is playing an absolute blinder
@John D Doe: What of note has he done that was not for notice???
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: Recognition of the state of Palestine despite international pressure not to do it?. His handling of the aftermath of the Stardust inquiry he stepped up and did what no other leader did. He’s very vocal about what he wants to see from mortgage lenders etc. Maybe take your head out of the sand and look at what he’s at least trying to do. He’s only been Taoiseach for a short time and Rome wasn’t built in a day.
@Ger Whelan: This is how they get you Ger. Look over here, we’ve changed our leader. He’s young and has a lot of energy for all the things you worry about. Look at him talk a great talk. Please Ireland, see through this.
@Darren Doyle McCormack: They haven’t gotten me though Darren. I won’t be voting for them. Just pointing out what he’s actually done. Harris is a year younger than me. He’s a lot younger than ollie there who’s questioning what he’s achieved. I’m guessing he’s achieved a lot more Ollie anyway.
@John D Doe: your judgement is weak and untrustworthy based on what you nearly always post.
The legacy issues are dealing with an academic/political/media subculture that many in society are addicted to, but others are reacting to that addiction while being called far-right in the process.
The supporters of the current American President are still blabbering on about tackling climate change when many are voting, as a reaction, for the narcissist because of these so-called liberal politics.
@Gerald Kelleher: What is this addiction pray tell? Let me guess, listening to scientists and discussing the facts we have to hand? But of course this is all a ruse. The entire global scientific community are involved in a big conspiracy and only the contrarians posting untruths on Facebook and Twitter are legit.
It’s a gross over-simplification to reduce American voting patterns to climate issues. The rot goes far deeper. There’s a specific and peculiar dynamic in the US. Gun crazy, evangelical, constitution obsessed while doing everything in their power to turn it into a theocracy. An incredibly hypocritical one even by their own standards but no one ever accused these people of being self aware.
@SerotoninWars:
The use of ‘scientist’ is too general; I mean scientific method modellers and their subculture. I have listened to these one-world-government Trekkies and their influence on politicians at the UN and, to a certain extent, the EU levels.
Legacy issues have emerged due to this subculture’s ability to convince large sections of society that controlling human behaviour equates to controlling the weather by what it eats, travels, and behaves.
Bringing up the legacy issue of Royal Society empiricism and icon worship brings up all sorts of adverse reactions, but this is where the real legacy issues are for a productive and creative society in future.
@Gerald Kelleher: Of course. Not all scientists. But there is a line in the sand where consensus reached by well meaning and diligent scientists – who handily also provide peer reviewed proof – passes the theory threshold and becomes accepted fact. They aren’t keeping all the information to themselves. We can look it up, check, verify, compare and educate ourselves further. Unfortunately we now live in an era where little value is placed on some of our most useful tools to navigate the physical world and reality. It’s ALL a conspiracy. And once people enter a world of complete paranoia there’s little that can be done to stop them seeing what they want to see. It’s good to be vigilant and healthily sceptical about information you are presented with but sometimes it really is as simple as it being the best knowledge gained by the best research that’s being presented to us. It doesn’t go much deeper than that.
‘controlling human behaviour equates to controlling the weather by what it eats, travels, and behaves’
Well it’s not localised weather we’re worried about, even if that can be disastrous for people. It’s the global climate. I’m really not sure how we have reached the stage where so many are happy to dismiss cause and effect so easily. It’s fairly simple stuff. Certain behaviours and actions lead to certain outcomes. If we change these behaviours we get a different outcome. The idea that the things you mention have no effect whatsoever on our planet, our home, is pretty bizarre. Once again the evidence is there, in large volumes. But I don’t think evidence is particularly important to many right now, unfortunately. Vibes, hunches, stubbornness and myopic contrarianism are in fashion in a big way.
@Serotonin:
‘Well, it’s not localised weather we’re worried about, even if that can be disastrous for people. It’s the global climate.’
Once again, too generalised, Ireland’s maritime climate is one topic among many within the Earth science of climate. The empirical subculture temporarily managed to squeeze Earth science into an experimental notion based on a garden greenhouse.
“Rule III. The qualities of bodies which are found to belong to all bodies within the reach of our experiments, are esteemed the universal qualities of all bodies whatsoever.” Isaac Newton
That is your legacy issue right there, so what is crude and cruel is hardly recognisable among those who can’t identify dangerous and disruptive pretence.
People are astute enough to identify science from a subculture.
@Gerald Kelleher: How exactly is this too generalised? Countries aren’t individual planets. There is overwhelming evidence that the climate as a whole is a changing globally, for the worse. The effects are of course different depending on what area of the world you live. But this does not diminish the fact that drastic changes are happening and our actions are responsible for this.
You might get away with some head in the sand stuff when it comes to us not experiencing the very worst of if right now. But we will in other ways. Climate refugees are already a fact of life and their numbers will only grow as the utter destruction of climate change creates more havoc and worsening living conditions for many. The political and economic ramifications are enormous.
Alas no amount of evidence will be enough for some. It’s not about accepting reality. It’s more about ego and a vain attempt to go against the grain out of fear and egotism. They will deflect and deny as the fire reaches their door. Contrarianism is a nice ego boost for humans. It makes us feel more sharply individual and smarter than the other fools. A way of putting yourself on a pedestal. We see this pattern repeat over and over again. But there are limits. Sometimes we hit a brick wall of reality that no amount of denial and whataboutery can penetrate. Time to exit the rabbit hole and face the facts Gerald.
@SerotoninWars:
The original ‘rabbit hole’ comes from a Victorian mathematician who witnessed the hacket job his contemporaries were doing on geometry and timekeeping. It is part of the bigger legacy issue of a subculture that proposed there are rules people must follow.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427391-600-alices-adventures-in-algebra-wonderland-solved/
Asserting that conditions in a garden greenhouse scale up to the Earth’s atmosphere using a minor atmospheric gas as a human-controlled thermostat is just another symptom of taxpayer-funded indulgences
What you imagine is simple: it is just crude and cruel, but there are signs that the worst is over even before the legacy issue is demonstrated. Apart from trying to dehumanise me as a ‘bot’, some see it differently.
@Gerald Kelleher: Yes, very good you have explained the origin of a term (completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand) and used a lot of word salad terminology to avoid dealing the with prescient facts.
There’s absolutely nothing of substance in here. There’s no rebuttal of the evidence which plainly shows how our actions affect the climate. There’s no counter argument to the volumes of measurements, statistics and observations that tell us we have increased emissions on a massive scale since the industrial revolution. The same emissions which have increased greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere. It seems to be a massive case of saying ‘the world is huge and I can’t see it out my back garden, ergo it isn’t happening’.
I don’t think you are serious. I have a feeling this is some sort of research account into discussion in the public sphere or else you are working for a bad actor trying to obfuscate the facts and create doubt by using a garbled mish mash of unrelated stories that might draw some people in, who also wish to disbelieve. You never present any actual evidence, just long winded ways of saying you don’t believe it.
@Ser: If it is any consolation to you, you held out longer than some others before introducing the usual slogans and quasi-legal terminology of your subculture and the legacy issue, otherwise known as scientific method modelling.
Even the RTE politics programme on now has one man talking about climate change being a concern for the public when the bigger picture is the difference between the modelling subculture and genuine research, including experimental research.
The taxpayer funds the academic hysteria, which filters back through social politics. When the funding goes out, so does the Earth-on-fire hysteria.
Thanks for the pretence, but being astute overcomes the Ponzi scheme where the Earth science of climate became lucrative for a few through the taxpayer and consumer.
@Gerald Kelleher: I posted a long reply with many links… which disappeared.
The main point was that even enemy states are in agreement that climate change is real and our actions have inescapably been the main driver for this upheaval. Even Russia doesn’t have its head buried in the sand on this matter, even if it’s not doing nearly enough and is now consumed by its illegal invasion of Ukraine. China is fully on board too.
There are endless resources you can use from the widest array of factions. Many who hate each other. But they all hit the brick wall of reality. Some things cannot be denied, try as you might. Contrarianism runs out of road when the evidence is overwhelming, observable and easily verified by the wealth of research and facts gathered by an enormous range of bodies across the globe. Even the patron saint of contrarianism Jeremy Clarkson threw in the towel recently as there comes a point when it’s sheer madness to deny reality. Nothing I can say here will make a difference though, so I’m out! G’day!
@SerotoninWars:
Jaysus lad you have the patience of Jobe!!
@SerotoninWars:
The legacy of the original clockwork solar system modelling in the 17th century, which was the origin of all scientific method modelling and eventually entered the Earth sciences of biology and climate, created havoc for our society.
I am looking at the present attempts to blur the excesses of experimental theorists in Covid and gain of function research by using Victorian natural selection to justify a natural origin, including using discredited human phrenology.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/gain-of-function-research-covid-19/
There are limitations to experimental research unless people find the deaths of 7 million people acceptable for the sake of an academic whim to make viruses more infectious to humans. This, too, is a legacy issue.
@P.: Like all productive people, Job wasn’t patient; his gifts drove him to suffer impatience when people could be mediocre. This isn’t even a Hebrew narrative but common to all men and women of all ages.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038-42&version=KJV
In an era today where people believe humanity can control the weather, the answer to Job is knowing the limitations of human endeavour.
“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?”
https://sol24.net/data/html/SOHO/C3/96H/VIDEO/
Dull people react, considerate people take their time/patience.
@Gerald Kelleher:
Riiiiiiiight
@P. J.: When you are a slave to a scientific method subculture, you will always be a slave without any responsibilities, and that is precisely how many behave here.
The legacy of 250+ years of that subculture is the belief that humanity can control the weather; it is the inability to affirm that one sunrise/sunset cycle every 24 hours is also one rotation of the Earth. Clockwork solar system modelling asserts otherwise.
” It is a fact not generally known that, owing to the difference between solar and sidereal time, the Earth rotates upon its axis once more often than there are 24-hour days in the year” NASA /Harvard
Being part of a subculture is a type of sleeping.
@Gerald Kelleher:
To slightly misquote Maggie Smith
“Why use one word when 20 would do”
Of course in reality, fine Gael are largely indifferent to the legacy act because they are Tories themselves. I don’t see fine Gael representing Irish culture in any meaningful way. As obsolete as Fianna fail
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