Editorial: ​Hogwash from the Independent Reporting Commission about socio-economic conditions, when they should be focused on terrorism

​Whenever the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) issues feeble reports on terrorists, as it has done again, it cites its remit.​

In its latest report the IRC calls for a twin track approach to paramilitaries, the first track being “a robust and targeted set of law enforcement measures”.

“Track Two involves a comprehensive tackling of the deep-rooted socio-economic conditions which are linked to the continuing existence of paramilitarism today,” the seventh report says. “Both tracks, which are inter-related, are vital in ... tackling ... paramilitarism.”

This is hogwash. Tackling socio-economic conditions is a huge global matter that few countries on earth have managed successfully, aside from a handful of highly organised Scandinavian societies that accept high tax rates. There is no consensus for such a model on these islands, not even across the border, thus no prospect of this vision coming to fruition.

And track one won’t happen either. There is no stomach for “robust” enforcement. In fact this newspaper has been almost alone in chronicling the slap-on-the-wrist sentences given to the only terrorists who are trying to murder people now, dissident republicans. Meanwhile loyalists are mired in thuggery and criminality, yet one of the most effective models against such – assets recovery – seems to have nothing like the success it seemed it would when the now disbanded Assets Recovery Agency NI was launched 22 years ago.

The IRC then points out that, unlike the Independent Monitoring Commission, it does not provide detailed security assessments. Given that it was established after the 2015 IRA murder of Kevin McGuigan, it should be given a remit to do just that, rather than being allowed to suggest that the old weak British approach of ‘engaging’ with terrorists be extended to the latest gangs of thugs.