DUP interim leader: ‘Hypocritical’ Irish government must face up to its own role in the Troubles

The DUP interim leader said the Republic had repeatedly failed to face up to its role in the Troubles while seeking to lecture the UK government on the past.

He also called for greater “honesty” from Dublin in Anglo-Irish affairs.

Mr Robinson made his comments in his weekly message to DUP members.

It came a day after Simon Harris made his first visit to Northern Ireland as Taoiseach and in a week that saw new legislation on the past take effect.

Since the Legacy Act became operational on May 1, all civil litigation and inquests into Troubles deaths have been stopped.

Prosecutions currently ongoing will continue to their conclusion.

Bereaved families, victims and certain public authorities can request that a new body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), carry out an investigation.

The ICRIR can refer cases for prosecution and deliver findings based on the balance of probabilities.

But the Legacy Act has been criticised by victims and survivors, as well as Northern Ireland’s political parties and the Irish government.

In his message, Mr Robinson said Dublin was seeking to “ride two horses on legacy”.

He referred to a memorial service he attended this week for Eva Martin, who was killed in an IRA mortar attack at Clogher Deanery in Co Tyrone on May 2 1974. She was the first Greenfinch (female UDR soldier) to die during Operation Banner.

He said: “Yesterday the Republic of Ireland’s newly-elected Taoiseach Simon Harris was in Belfast for meetings with the First and deputy First Ministers as well as other party leaders.

“Of course as neighbours, we want to have good relationships and work on matters of mutual concern but at the heart of that must be honesty.

“The Republic has repeatedly failed to face up to the role it played in the Troubles whilst regularly being critical of the UK government’s role.”

Mr Robinson cited the Irish government’s failure to hold an inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing.

In 2021, High Court judge Mr Justice Horner said the UK government should carry out a new investigation into whether the bombing, which killed 29 people, was preventable. He also urged the Irish government to do likewise.

Mr Robinson added: "The Irish government, whilst calling for truth from the UK government, has been urged by the courts to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh bomb, yet has repeatedly refused the calls by families and others to set up such an inquiry. Despite the bomb being planned and built in the Republic.”

Mr Robinson said the 1976 Kingsmill massacre - when 10 Protestant workmen were shot dead on a country road in South Armagh - was ”another Republic of Ireland inconsistency".

He added: “The coroner found that the attack was planned well in advance and from within the Republic of Ireland.

“Terrorists were able to cross the border to carry out the attack and in its aftermath we are told the Garda did not provide information because they were not asked for it.

“Such an approach from the Irish Republic makes a mockery of their stance today against the UK government’s legacy legislation.

"Dublin can’t ride two horses on legacy.

“They must either correct their inconsistencies and recognise truth must be told by the holding of proper public inquiries in the Republic or else they must at least leave off their hypocritical criticisms of the UK government.”