Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott has said that the public must be given the opportunity to have their say on the proposed Legacy bodies laid out in the Stormont House Agreement.
Mr Elliott said:
“The major downfall in this document published by the Northern Ireland Office is it seems to suggest that the wider community in Northern Ireland will be ignored in relation to having their say and being consulted about the proposals.
“It was our understanding that there would be a public consultation on these matters. Are we going back to pre-1998 when legislation was steamrolled through Westminster without community consultation or at best no cognisance given to the public’s views?
“It is interesting that today’s document again highlights that the UK authorities will give ‘full disclosure’ of information that it holds, while the Republic of Ireland authorities are just committed to providing ‘disclosure’ of information– not full disclosure.
“This is a matter that I argued the entire way through the Haass and Stormont House processes. The ROI government were reluctant to even move to a position of disclosure of information and certainly have not gone further to permit ‘full disclosure’. This is one significant reason why the Ulster Unionists did not agree to the Stormont House proposals.
“Those families who have suffered at the hands of terrorists who used the Republic of Ireland as a safe haven deserve to know the truth, but that requires the full co-operation and disclosure of information from the Irish authorities.”