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Select Committee · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

The effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland

Status: Closed Opened: 30 Mar 2022 Closed: 28 May 2024 14 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is conducting an inquiry into the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland. The inquiry is looking at the effectiveness of current measures aimed at tackling paramilitarism in Northern Ireland and considering how the UK Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government can most effectively …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - The effect of paramilitary activity and org… HC 43 1 Feb 2024 17 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
15 Recommendation Second Report - The effect of paramilit… Accepted in Part

Embed a standard code of practice for community groups receiving public funding to tackle paramilitarism.

We are concerned to hear claims that paramilitary organisations act as gatekeepers within some communities and masquerade as community organisations to receive public money. The Government must embed a standard code of practice and behaviour that all community-level organisations availing of Government funding have to sign up to as part …

Government response. The government acknowledges the risk of paramilitary gatekeeping, stating that existing funding mechanisms have conditions and a behaviours framework is in place. It supports the adoption of this framework and is undertaking wider work to consider how similar frameworks can …
Northern Ireland Office

Oral evidence sessions

11 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 Oct 2023 Dr Aaron Edwards · The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Dr Seán Brennan, Independent Researcher View ↗
17 Oct 2023 Jamie Bryson · Centre for the Union View ↗
26 Apr 2023 John McBurney · Independent Reporting Commission, Mitchell Reiss · Independent Reporting Commission, Monica McWilliams · Independent Reporting Commission, Tim O'Connor · Independent Reporting Commission View ↗
8 Mar 2023 Chris Heaton-Harris MP · Northern Ireland Office, Dominic Wilson · Northern Ireland Office, James Crawford · Northern Ireland Office View ↗
22 Feb 2023 Alison Flanagan · Christians Against Poverty (CAP), Brian Anderson · East Belfast Mission, Ronnie Armour · Northern Ireland Prison Service, Steven McCourt · Northern Ireland Prison Service View ↗
1 Feb 2023 Ian Jeffers · Commission for Victims and Survivors Northern Ireland, Megan Phair · The Stop Attacks Forum, Mr Peter Murtagh · South East Fermanagh Foundation, Paul Smyth · The Stop Attacks Forum, Sandra Peake · Wave Trauma Centre View ↗
18 Jan 2023 Clare Moore · Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick · Ulster University, Maxine Murphy Higgins · NASUWT - The Teachers' Union, Mrs Siobhán Harding · Women’s Support Network, Ms Elaine Crory · Women’s Resource and Development Agency, Sonya McMullan · Women's Aid NI View ↗
12 Dec 2022 John McBurney · Independent Reporting Commission, Mitchell Reiss · Independent Reporting Commission, Monica McWilliams · Independent Reporting Commission, Tim O’Connor · Independent Reporting Commission View ↗
23 Nov 2022 Daniel Holder · Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), Professor Marie Breen-Smyth the Independent Reviewer of the exercised powers under the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, Úna Boyd · Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) View ↗
9 Nov 2022 Dr Brendan Coyle · Ulster University, Dr Conor Murray · Ulster University, Mairead McCafferty · Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Mark Dennison · Irish Football Association, Ms Koulla Yiasouma · Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People View ↗
26 Oct 2022 Adele Brown · The Northern Ireland Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, Andy Hill · Police Service of Northern Ireland, Mark McEwan · Police Service of Northern Ireland, Naomi Long MLA · Northern Ireland Department of Justice, Richard Pengelly · Northern Ireland Department of Justice View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
7 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from the Secretary of State, relating to the effect of paramilit…
8 Mar 2023 — Correspondence from Northern Ireland Prison Service, relating to the effect of …
8 Feb 2023 — Correspondence to the PSNI relating to the effect of paramilitary activity and …
8 Feb 2023 — Correspondence from the PSNI relating to the effect of paramilitary activity an…