Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Deferred
Paragraph: 77
Extend multi-year funding period for Tackling Paramilitarism Programme Phase Three to five years.
Recommendation
We welcome the announcement in the 2023 Budget of an additional £3 million for 2024/25 to extend the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme in Northern Ireland. The Programme is carrying out vital work to develop strategies to tackle paramilitarism systematically. Paramilitarism is a long-term problem which requires sustained funding. As part of discussions to extend the Programme, the Government must extend the multi-year funding period for Phase Three to five years rather than the three years for which each phase is currently funded. A longer period for Phase Three would provide a more sustainable base for investment in, and development of, projects to tackle paramilitary activity. Should it not be possible for Executive officials to allocate funding for the 2024–25 financial year, due to limitations on their remit, the Government must ensure that the money allocated to the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme for 2024–25 is at least maintained in real terms at its current level of £8 million from the Government and £8 million from the Executive.
Government Response Summary
The government does not commit to extending the multi-year funding for the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme to five years or maintaining specific funding levels. It instead states that Additional Security Funding is for PSNI counter-terrorism work and that day-to-day policing and spending decisions remain the responsibility of the Executive.
Paragraph Reference:
77
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Government has been confirmed through to 2024/25 at £32m per year. While the threat posed by NIRT remains, the number of security incidents, bombings and shootings have significantly reduced since 2015. • Additional Security Funding is solely to support PSNI’s counter terrorism work which has led to the recent reduction in threat level. Additional Security Funding is not an alternative funding mechanism to support the delivery of day to day policing which remains the responsibility of the Executive. It remains the responsibility of the Department of Justice and the Chief Constable to make spending decisions allowing the PSNI to fulfil its statutory duties and to keep communities in NI safe.