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

Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 30 Mar 2022 Closed: 28 May 2024 Parliament page
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 … Read more
14 Recommendations
3 Conclusions
1 Report
11 Oral sessions
4 Letters
12 Events
Activity timeline 29 events
23 May
2024
Report published
1 Feb
2024
Report published
18 Oct
2023
Oral evidence
18 Oct
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
17 Oct
2023
Oral evidence
17 Oct
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
7 Jun
2023
Correspondence
26 Apr
2023
Oral evidence
26 Apr
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
8 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
8 Mar
2023
Correspondence
8 Mar
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 11 sessions
18 Oct 2023
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Dr Aaron Edwards · The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Dr Seán Brennan, Independent Researcher
17 Oct 2023
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Jamie Bryson · Centre for the Union
26 Apr 2023
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John McBurney · Independent Reporting Commission Mitchell Reiss · Independent Reporting Commission Monica McWilliams · Independent Reporting Commission Tim O'Connor · Independent Reporting Commission
8 Mar 2023
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Chris Heaton-Harris MP · Northern Ireland Office Dominic Wilson · Northern Ireland Office James Crawford · Northern Ireland Office
22 Feb 2023
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Alison Flanagan · Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Brian Anderson · East Belfast Mission Ronnie Armour · Northern Ireland Prison Service Steven McCourt · Northern Ireland Prison Service
1 Feb 2023
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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
18 Jan 2023
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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
12 Dec 2022
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John McBurney · Independent Reporting Commission Mitchell Reiss · Independent Reporting Commission Monica McWilliams · Independent Reporting Commission Tim O’Connor · Independent Reporting Commission
23 Nov 2022
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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)
9 Nov 2022
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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
26 Oct 2022
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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
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - The effect of paramilitary activity and organise… HC 43 1 Feb 2024 17 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
2 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - The effect of para…
Urge Executive to support communities addressing paramilitary murals and flags
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 … Read more
Government Response
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 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - The effect of para…
Extend multi-year funding period for Tackling Paramilitarism Programme Phase Three to five years.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - The effect of para…
Establish improved funding arrangements for Northern Ireland's counter-terrorism and justice budgets.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - The effect of para…
Increase PSNI officer headcount to at least 7,500 through recurrent funding provision.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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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17 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - The effect of para…
Paramilitary groups are fragmented; sub-group transition concept requires further development and consideration.
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 … Read more
Government Response
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.
Northern Ireland Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 17 of 14 classified
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 7
Deferred 5
Total 14 recs + 3 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
7 Jun 2023 Correspondence from the Secretary of State, relating to the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland inquiry, 31 May 2023
Parliament page
8 Mar 2023 Correspondence from Northern Ireland Prison Service, relating to the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland, 6 March 2023
Parliament page
8 Feb 2023 Correspondence to the PSNI relating to the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland inquiry, 24 January 2023
Parliament page
8 Feb 2023 Correspondence from the PSNI relating to the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland inquiry, 1 February 2023
Parliament page