The news that the Irish Government are to wage a legal case against the British Government over the legacy bill has been met with mixed reaction.

Patsy Kelly Jr, son of Patsy Kelly, a nationalist councillor murdered in July 1974, said he was “very heartened” by the move.

Mr. Kelly said: “Legacy act was in my view, meticulously designed to cause hurt and generate trauma to any families who dare to stand up and seek the truth.

“It’s an extremely welcome move in my view.

“There is no one of any political persuasion in the North or anywhere in Ireland who was in favour of the legacy bill and I think the Irish Government have been clear from the beginning from the inception but they were against it.

“The legacy act, all it will do is ensure reconciliation for all with the past will remain unresolved.

“In my view, the legacy act is a weapon being used by the British Government to cause even more pain and on victims’ families by ensuring the whole truth will not be revealed.”

Also reacting to the news, a local victims and survivors group has said that the Irish state must “come clean on its acts of commission and omissions.”

Mr. Kenny Donaldson, service director at South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) was speaking following the announcement by the Irish Government, he said: “The Irish State must cease its’ rank hypocrisy on legacy, it is not a sustainable position for that State to act as quality proofers for what ‘the Brits’ do or don’t do, they must come forward and deliver for the Omagh families, families impacted by cross-border terror and indeed their own citizens who they have also failed on these issues”.

Mr Donaldson added: “SEFF’s position on these matters has been clear and consistent, we have never supported statutes of limitation, nor amnesties.”

“We opposed the legacy and reconciliation bill on principle because it represented the final murder of justice and because it fails to meet the needs of our constituency of victims and survivors so on principle we are not opposed to the Irish State’s intervention.

“However, we make it very clear that should that challenge be successful and it results in the retention of the Coronial inquest system and civil litigation processes that this cannot and will not deliver for our core constituency.”

The Irish Government announced in December that it will initiate an inter-state legal case against the United Kingdom under the European Convention on Human Rights over its controversial legislation to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “It is something that we’re genuinely doing with a sense of regret, and would prefer not to be in this position, but we did make a commitment to survivors in Northern Ireland and to the families of victims that we would stand by them, respect their wishes and also stand by the Good Friday Agreement, which specifically references the European Convention on Human Rights.”