The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) has accused the Irish Government of refusing to cooperate with its investigations into historic Troubles killings. Declan Morgan, the commission's head and former lord chief justice of Northern Ireland, said Dublin has not embraced the full truth-telling process because the Republic does not share Northern Ireland's enduring intergenerational trauma.

The commission has been denied access to Garda and intelligence files for nearly a dozen cases where IRA members fled across the border immediately after attacks. In some instances, individuals were arrested by Garda officers but later released or prosecuted only for firearms possession, with no convictions for the offences now under review. Chief investigator Keith Surtees said the inability to question the officers involved is a serious obstacle to establishing facts, even though none of the cases involve allegations of Garda collusion.

Up to 500 IRA killings are estimated to have border connections, according to Peter Sheridan, the ICRIR's commissioner for investigations. More than 300 families have already lodged cases with the commission, but Sheridan believes many more would come forward if they trusted that Dublin would share relevant information.

The Irish Government maintains that the ICRIR is not a police force and therefore cannot receive confidential material. It also has concerns about compliance with article two of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the ICRIR points to routine information sharing between Irish authorities and UK bodies such as HM Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency, as well as past cooperation with Operation Kenova, which examined British Army agent Freddie Scappaticci.

Established by the last Conservative UK government, the ICRIR has faced criticism from victims' groups, political parties, and human rights bodies. The Northern Ireland Secretary retains control over disclosure of sensitive national security files, limiting the commission's powers. Surtees remarked that Belfast City Council has greater authority to investigate underage alcohol sales than the ICRIR has to probe paramilitary killings.

The commission's leadership recently met Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly after receiving ministerial permission, but the meeting did not alter Dublin's stance. Requests to meet the Taoiseach or the Minister for Justice have remained unanswered for two years. Morgan said he believes Dublin's legal objections are mistaken, an opinion he says is shared by the UK Supreme Court.