Source · Select Committees · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Second Report - The effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
HC 43
Published 1 February 2024
Recommendations
2
Deferred
Para 25
Urge Executive to support communities addressing paramilitary murals and flags
Recommendation
Memorials, commemorative artefacts and flags glorifying paramilitary groups serve as a visual signifier of the coercive control that such groups attempt to have over communities and can retraumatise the victims and survivors of paramilitary violence. The PSNI does not always …
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Government Response Summary
The government response completely deflects from the recommendation concerning paramilitary murals, instead discussing engagement between DWP and DfC on social security, credit services, and the development of a childcare strategy for Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Office
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12
Deferred
Para 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 …
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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.
Northern Ireland Office
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13
Deferred
Para 83
Establish improved funding arrangements for Northern Ireland's counter-terrorism and justice budgets.
Recommendation
The Government’s contribution to additional security funding for counter-terrorism has recently stagnated despite the continuing terrorist threat, and the justice budget in Northern Ireland has risen by just 3% compared to respective increases of 70% 50 The effect of paramilitary …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that policing and police funding are devolved matters for the NI Executive to determine, while confirming its existing Additional Security Funding of £32m per year until 2024/25, which is not for day-to-day policing.
Northern Ireland Office
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14
Deferred
Para 86
Increase PSNI officer headcount to at least 7,500 through recurrent funding provision.
Recommendation
We are concerned at the budgetary shortfall that the PSNI is facing, not least in the context of recent security incidents evidencing starkly the ongoing threat from terrorist and paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. The financial liabilities that the Service …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that increasing PSNI officers to 7,500 is an NI Executive priority, and policing in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Executive and Department of Justice to resource.
Northern Ireland Office
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Conclusions (1)
17
Conclusion
Deferred
Paramilitary groups do not resemble cohesive units, rather they are composed of sub-groups that vary in location, strength of affiliation and level of criminal activity. We have heard that some sub-groups are readying themselves for transition, whilst others show little appetite to transition away from criminality. We see some merit …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges recommendations for a formal process to facilitate paramilitary group transition and commits to undertaking further independent scoping and engagement to assess its merit and support.