The Northern Ireland Office will commission a new probe into Troubles legacy body the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery after concerns over governance and culture problems were endorsed by a former senior civil servant.
Secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn announced the move yesterday, following the submission of an initial review of the ICRIR conducted by Peter May, who was permanent secretary at Northern Ireland’s Department of Health until April 2025.
The ICRIR was created under the last government’s Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and is due to become the Legacy Commission. It was created to aid the reconciliation process by providing information about Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries to the families of victims and survivors.
Since it started work in May 2024, the ICRIR has more than 100 active investigations under way and has had in excess of 270 cases referred to it. More than 3,700 people died as a result of the conflict and more than 47,000 were injured, according to Ulster University's CAIN Archive.
Benn said yesterday that May was appointed to conduct his review by the NIO and the ICRIR board after concerns about corporate effectiveness and culture were raised directly with the department.
“I am grateful to him for this work,” Benn said. “His findings, submitted to me at the end of February, identified that the organisation is facing a number of problems resulting, in his view, from a combination of the 2023 Legacy Act itself, internal governance shortcomings and the culture of the organisation at senior levels.”
Benn added: “Since receiving the findings I have met each of the commissioners individually to seek their response. I have established a joint ICRIR-NIO oversight committee to ensure that the review’s recommendations are addressed. I have also provided additional dedicated sponsorship resource to support the organisation.
“I now plan to commission a Section 36 review of ICRIR and its performance of its statutory functions. As set out in the 2023 Legacy Act, this must be completed no later than 30 April 2027.”
The NIO has yet to publish the full findings of May’s investigation. Benn said that many of the ICRIR’s staff had participated in the review on the understanding of anonymity and that the review should be shared with them “in the first instance”.
The secretary of state pledged the review’s findings would be published after staff have seen them, along with the government’s response and joint action plan.
“It is vital that the commission’s important work continues on behalf of victims, survivors and their families, as they seek to find answers after so many years,” Benn said. “The internal challenges faced by ICRIR as a new public organisation tasked with a complex statutory role must not detract from this. I will do everything I can, including through the important reforms set out in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, to ensure ICRIR is appropriately supported to deliver for those families.”
ICRIR chief commissioner Sir Declan Morgan welcomed Benn’s statement and thanked May for his “diligence and professionalism” in conducting the independent review.
“We are a developing organisation and the independent review was jointly commissioned to provide a clear, objective assessment of the ICRIR’s corporate effectiveness and cultural health,” Morgan said.
“The review recognises real strengths, however as with any newly established organisation growing at pace, it also identifies areas where improvement is required. The commission welcomes that feedback.
“Our focus is on learning from this review and continuing to build a service for victims, survivors and their families that meets the highest standards.”