The head of Operation Kenova has written to the Secretary of State asking for permission to identify the British agent known as Stakeknife.
Details emerged in a letter sent by Sir Iain Livingstone to Hilary Benn last week requesting an update on recommendations made in an interim report into the activities of the British army agent.
Mr Livingstone said he intends to include details of progress made in a final report into the activities of Stakeknife, which is due to be published next year.
Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci was exposed as the notorious agent in 2003, although his identity has never been officially confirmed.
In March this year an interim report published by Operation Kenova revealed the extent of Stakeknife’s role as an agent, although he was not named.
A former commander with the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), Scappaticci has been linked to more than a dozen murders and abductions.
The ISU was responsible for uncovering and killing informers.
Scappaticci, who worked for the Force Research Unit, an intelligence gathering branch of the British army, is said to have died of natural causes last year.
In August it emerged that MI5 has failed to disclose hundreds of pages, including “significant new information”, to Operation Kenova during their work to produce the interim report.
Ten recommendations contained in that document included setting up of an independent framework for investigating legacy cases.
It also suggested authorities “review, codify and define the proper limits of the NCND (neither confirm nor deny) policy as it relates to the identification of agents and its application in the context of Northern Ireland legacy cases predating the Good Friday agreement”.
In his recent correspondence Mr Livingstone confirmed he has also written to the Secretary of State “separately regarding permission to confirm the true identity of the agent known as Stakeknife”.
“In that letter, I have set out my reasons why I believe the blanket application of NCND in legacy cases has the potential to undermine public confidence and add to the grief of families of victims in certain cases,” Mr Livingstone wrote.
Mr Livingston added that he understood “from Cabinet Office colleagues that a review of NCND is under consideration”.
The Operation Kenova chief said he is planning to complete the final report in the early part of 2025.
“It will be subject to the security checking process and then submitted to the PSNI for subsequent publication,” he added.
Meanwhile, solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, who represents 21 Kenova families, said he wrote to Hilary Benn two months ago requesting he meet with relatives.
“Whilst we appreciate his positive statement on repeal of the Legacy Act, we are disappointed that our request hasn’t been taken up yet,” he said.
“Other victims’ families have met with Hilary Benn and that’s only but right.
“However, there’s a danger of a repeat marginalisation of the Kenova families of a kind they’ve experienced over the years.”
Mr Winters said a failure to meet with families could be damaging.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with all the families who lost loved ones during that very dark period in Northern Ireland.
“The Government has received correspondence from Sir Iain Livingstone, and will respond in due course.”
