NORTHERN Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has pledged to ‘work closely’ with the Irish Government this year to implement commitments related to the legacy of the Troubles.
In a New Year statement Mr Benn highlighted the impact of the Good Friday Agreement and the relative peace being experienced in the North as a result of it.
“Since the Good Friday Agreement was signed almost three decades ago, Northern Ireland has been transformed,” he said.
“It was an extraordinary achievement – one that I never thought I would see in my lifetime – and it has helped to lay the foundation of the more peaceful and prosperous society that we enjoy today,” he added.
“We can all be proud of the huge strides forward that Northern Ireland has taken, but if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, then we know that there’s so much potential to do even more.”
Mr Benn went on to pledge to plough on with plans to establish a new Legacy Commission to deal with historic cases related to the Troubles period in the North and to continue to liaise with the Irish Government on this.
“I also look forward to continuing to work closely with the Irish Government to strengthen the relationship between our two countries,” he said.
“Earlier this year, along with Tánaiste Simon Harris, I was pleased to announce a Joint Framework to address the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland,” he explained.
“There remains, of course, much work to do to implement the commitments that both governments made.
“Our legislation has now been introduced, and has started its parliamentary scrutiny process.
“My aim is to establish a new Legacy Commission that can command public confidence in helping families to find answers, and we will continue to talk to victims, survivors, veterans, and others to get this right,” he added.