Legal expert urges speedier release of State papers

The Government has been urged to shorten how long it takes to release secret State papers, over concerns the three-decade delay is creating a “one-sided” history of relations with Britain

Fianna Fáil councillor and legal adviser Jim O Callaghan issued the call amid the latest release of the sealed files.

Under separate legislation in Ireland and Britain, correspondence from ministers and senior officials had usually been made public after 30 years.

Officials in Dublin are continuing to make documents available from 30 years ago but, from this year, London provides records from 29 years ago due to a difference in when the delay starts.

However, due to a change in legislation which will see Britain releasing records after just 20 years from 2022, over the next eight years officials in London will provide documents relating to two years at the same time.

Britain released documents from both 1985 and 1986 in recent days as Ireland released records from 1984.

And while many of the files do not involve Ireland, Mr O Callaghan warned unless the Government also speeds up its archival releases, a “one-sided” view of the Northern Ireland issue will be sewn into the history books “without access to the papers setting out the Irish position”.

The coming archival years relate to a period of negotiations between taoisigh and prime ministers, the release of the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four, and the Good Friday Agreement — the latter of which will be released in Britain in 2021 and Ireland in 2029.