Police cuts ‘could hit war on paramilitaries’ MPs told

The possibility of budget cuts to police and community services may damage efforts to tackle paramilitarism, MPs have been warned.

Members of the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) issued the warning as they addressed the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

The IRC was established jointly by the UK and Irish governments to report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.

In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris is responsible for setting the budget for Northern Ireland.

When the budget is announced today in Parliamet, departments are expected to face significant cuts due to a nearly £300 million overspend in public finances last year.

John McBurney, from the IRC, said it would be damaging to the goal of tackling paramilitary activity if the PSNI experienced significant cuts.

“It will be very, very damaging if the funding for the Paramilitary Crime Task Force is cut back, it will be very, very damaging to the whole endeavour to bring about the ending of paramilitarism and terrorism throughout Northern Ireland,” he said.

“If neighbourhood policing is significantly cut back that will be very, very damaging to the entire endeavour.

“And I think the chief constable and his top team of officers, they appreciate that very, very intently.”

The IRC commissioners were giving evidence to the committee on the effect of paramilitary activity and organised crime on society in Northern Ireland.

The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised to severe last month, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Mr McBurney said the work of the IRC is dependent on the continuation of community programmes tackling paramilitarism.

“We’re now teasing out the issues around the possibilities relating to group transition and the independent person and all of that,” he said.

“We can’t be doing all of that and then discover that the structures that have been put in place to carry all this forward are then being allowed to wither on the vine and even disappear.”

Mr McBurney also said that cuts to community groups that aim to prevent young people becoming involved in paramilitary crime were leaving these groups “emaciated”.

IRC commissioner Tim O’Connor appealed directly to the chair of the committee, Conservative MP Simon Hoare, to ensure that the PSNI’s resources are “protected” amid the expectations of budgetary cuts.