Politics

UUP says Dublin hiding behind national security with regards legacy cases

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said the proposed legacy process was 'lopsided'. Picture by Mal McCann
Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said the proposed legacy process was 'lopsided'. Picture by Mal McCann Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said the proposed legacy process was 'lopsided'. Picture by Mal McCann

A member of the UUP's Stormont talks negotiating team has claimed proposals tabled for dealing with the past are "lopsided" and will fuel a "single narrative" that targets the British security forces.

Upper Bann MLA and former soldier Doug Beattie, who was briefed in recent weeks by both the British and Irish governments, said the legacy proposals as they stand are "not fit for purpose".

A blueprint for dealing with past was contained in 2015's Stormont House Agreement but has yet to implemented.

The recent negotiations on restoring devolution have included discussions about legacy, but securing agreement on this and other issues has so far proved elusive.

Mr Beattie claimed the mechanisms proposed in the Stormont House Agreement would "not deliver for all victims".

The one-time warrant officer with Royal Ulster Rifles said the level of disclosure expected from the British government was greater than that from the Dublin administration.

He said the British government would make full disclosure about all elements of the security forces, including MI5, and only after any investigation could any of the information be redacted.

But the Upper Bann MLA claimed the Dublin government was not committing to the same level of co-operation.

"Instead the Irish government will be able to redact information prior to any investigation – this means that it is possible that the Irish government and its agencies will be able to shape future investigations by withholding information," he said.

"By implication, it is possible that they could inhibit bringing forward criminal charges from any investigation."

Mr Beattie said the Republic's government and its security agencies – including the Garda and Irish Directorate of Military Intelligence – "hold the key to a number of investigations", including those into some IRA killings along the border.

"The proposed mechanisms are unbalanced and a vague commitment from the Irish government to co-operate is simply not good enough," he said.

"The Kingsmill families and many others are being let down by the Irish government who instead of dealing in black and white, with no ambiguity, they hide behind what they are now calling national security interests."

The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to respond to Mr Beattie's comments on behalf of the Republic's government.

However, Sinn Féin accused the UUP MLA of "attempting to score political points on the back of genuine concerns".

"The fact is that the British government is still insisting on a national security veto which would give them the power to block onward disclosure of information to the families of victims," a spokesman said.

The SDLP also defended Dublin's stance, saying it had given assurances that disclosure will be fulfilled.

"This is a very different approach from that of the British government – London plans to build a national security veto, meaning whatever they want it to mean," a spokesman said.

"This runs the great risk of a coach and horses being driven through the requirement for disclosure."