The Northern Ireland Attorney General has called for an end to prosecutions for killings related to the troubles.
John Larkin says there should be no further police investigations, inquests or inquiries into any relevant killings that took place before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
In an interview with RTE Mr Larkin says his proposal is not a formal amnesty, but a logical consequence of the Good Friday Agreement.
More than 3,500 people were killed during the 30 years of conflict in the North.
Reporter Eamonn Mallie is in Belfast - he says the suggestion has far reaching consequences
Meanwhile, The Tánaiste has rejected the call for an end to criminal prosecutions over atrocities committed during the Troubles.
His ban would include atrocities like Bloody Sunday, the Enniskillen bombing and the Disappeared.
Tanaiste Eamonn Gilmore says the families of the 3,500 people who died in the troubles deserve justice.
