IRC paramilitary report a lesson in‘how not to rock the boat’: Allister

The TUV leader was commenting after the publication of a third report from Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) on progress towards ending all paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.

Mr Allister said he welcomed a move away from what he called the “offensive language” in the previous reports – where the term “ex political prisoners” was used to refer to convicted terrorists – but added: “However, the failure of the IRC to report on the current status of the Paramilitary Assessment of 2015 which stated that the Provisional IRA: retained an “Army Council” which members believed oversaw both the PIRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy; retained ‘departments’ with specific responsibilities, and still had weapons which had not been decommissioned, once again calls its usefulness into question.

“It seems clear that the members of the IRC are committed disciples of the process who are where they are precisely because they won’t say anything to rock the boat.”

In it’s report published on Tuesday, the IRC said that paramilitarism remains a “clear and present danger” in Northern Ireland, and said it understands from police that there remains thousands of “signed up” members to paramilitary organisations.

The report said that while “only a relatively small number” are involved directly in specific illegal activities, the continued existence of groupings of such scale is in itself a “clear and present danger on an ongoing basis”.

It goes on to warn that issues around Brexit and the legacy have the potential to “further and greatly complicate” the ending of paramilitarism.

It also noted a downward trend in security-related incidents over the last 10 years, but an increase in paramilitary-style assaults.

Commissioners John McBurney, Monica McWilliams, Tim O’Connor and Mitchell Reiss said while they had found progress, they regarded the continuation of paramilitary activity as unacceptable.

Justice Minister Naomi Long has welcomed the new report, saying that whilst “good progress is being made,” lessons learned so far “only serve to underline how the enduring and pervasive nature of paramilitarism requires a long-term, collaborative approach if we are to effectively resolve all of the issues.”

Assistant chief constable Barbara Gray said she welcomed the report’s recognition of the progress of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF), particularly in relation to the seizure of drugs, illicit tobacco products and criminal assets.

“Tackling paramilitarism remains a key priority for the police service to help free communities from the insidious grip and control of those who are trying to exploit and harm them. And while we know we cannot solve this decades-old problem alone, our commitment to work with partners in law enforcement and beyond is unwavering,” ACC Gray added.

• The Independent Reporting Commission began its work in 2017, following a commitment from both Westminster and Stormont – contained in the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement – to end paramilitarism permanently.

That agreement stemmed from the political upheaval that followed claims that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan snr in Belfast in August 2015. The arrest of a senior Sinn Fein figure added to the tensions between the main parties. He was later released without charge.

The IRC’s remit is to report on its progress and to make recommendations. However, unlike the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), which published its final report in 2011, the IRC is not responsible for providing assessments of the security situation or any specific threat posed by the various paramilitary groupings.

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