MPs Recommend Twin-track Approach to Tackle Para-militarism in Northern Ireland
The cross-party Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has released a comprehensive report today endorsing a dual strategy for addressing paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. The approach combines elements of a public health initiative with bolstered criminal justice measures, aiming to address the complex roots of paramilitary activity and organized crime in the region.
The report follows a rigorous 22-month inquiry into the impact of paramilitary activity and organized crime in Northern Ireland. One of the primary recommendations of the report is to strengthen the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. The Committee urges the UK Government to allocate the necessary funding to maintain a police force of 7,500 officers, as outlined in the New Decade, New Approach agreement of 2020.
However, due to budget cuts and financial strains caused by data breaches, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) faces a reduction in its workforce to 6,193 officers by April 2025. This downsizing is anticipated to result in fewer neighborhood officers and serious crimes detectives, compromising the PSNI's responsiveness to criminal activities.
The report highlights the low prosecution rates of violent crimes in Northern Ireland, which undermine confidence in the criminal justice system and embolden paramilitary groups to operate with impunity. The Committee calls on the UK Government to collaborate with the Northern Ireland Executive to improve clearance rates for paramilitary-style attacks and advocates for a "safeguarding approach" to prosecute individuals involved in paramilitary activity, focusing on coercion, modern slavery, and child exploitation.
In addition to strengthening criminal justice measures, the Committee emphasizes the importance of adopting a public health approach to tackle the socio-economic drivers of paramilitary activity. Factors such as deprivation, mental health issues, and psychological trauma contribute to the perpetuation of armed groups. The Committee urges the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to implement trauma-informed practices and address socio-economic disparities that fuel paramilitary activity. It also recommends sustained funding for the Executive's Tackling Paramilitarism Programme to address coercive control, particularly against women in the voluntary sector, and the exploitation of children.
Sir Robert Buckland, Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, expressed concerns about the decline in police numbers in Northern Ireland amidst persistent paramilitary activity. He stressed the importance of enhancing prosecution rates for violent crimes to weaken the influence of paramilitary groups and encourage crime reporting. Buckland emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach that addresses both immediate security concerns and long-term socio-economic factors contributing to paramilitarism.
The Committee remains hopeful that with efforts towards the restoration of the Executive, Northern Ireland can effectively combat the scourge of paramilitarism and create safer communities for its residents.
