Criminal justice agencies in the North spend stg£30 million every year investigating legacy issues relating to the Troubles.

A new report on the past - to be revealed this morning - shows the ongoing cost has a negative impact on current criminal matters.

The report is being published a day after the North's Attorney General called for an end to prosecutions for atrocities committed during 30 years of conflict in the North.

Yesterday Attorney-General John Larkin made a case for no further investigations into killings that took place before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

His argument was widely rejected by political groups and those representing victims of the troubles.

However this report shows the high cost of continuing to investigate these so-called legacy issues.

In five years time the total bill will be more than stg£187 million - the report says this has implications for the ability to deliver effective services into the future.

The Chief Inspector of criminal justice in Northern Ireland Brendan Mc Guigan says the Inspection found a willingness and commitment among leaders and organisations to manage their obligations in relation to the past but he said it was the view of Inspectors that the system had not been structured to deal with the past, nor could it provide a comprehensive solution to legacy issues.

It recommends setting up a legacy group to prioritise cases and manage the needs and expectations of victims and families.