Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to examine the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026

The Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will hold pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026 on Tuesday September 29th.  

The meeting will take place in Committee Room 1 of Leinster House at 15:00.  

The Committee will hear from representatives of Amnesty International Ireland and UK, Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Officials from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, the Bar of Ireland and the Data Protection Commission. 

The General Scheme of the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026 published in June 2026 sets out how the Irish Government will legislate to implement its commitments in the Joint Framework on the Legacy of the Troubles, agreed with the British government last September, to facilitate the fullest possible co-operation by the relevant Irish authorities with the UK Legacy Commission and with British troubles-related public inquiries.  

The Scheme also provides for the establishment of the cross-border Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (the ICIR), foreseen in the Stormont House Agreement, to assist families to find answers about the deaths of their loved-ones during the Troubles. 

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Matt Carthy said:
“The legacy of the Troubles continues to raise complex legal, human rights and practical questions, and the Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny provides an opportunity to examine the proposed legislation in detail. 

“The Oireachtas has an important role to play in scrutinising what is being proposed to ensure it upholds human rights obligations, delivers transparency and supports truth and justice for victims and survivors including in relation to the action of British state forces. That includes ensuring that Legacy Commission investigations comply with the investigative standards required under Articles 2 and 3 ECHR. 

“This engagement will allow members to hear a range of perspectives on the proposed Legacy Commission and Independent Commission on Information Retrieval, including issues around access to information, investigative independence, the rights and interests of victims and families, and the appropriate safeguards for sensitive personal information.

“The Committee will consider the evidence presented to us carefully as we examine the General Scheme and its implications.” 

Watch the meeting live on www.oireachtas.ie or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.