Jim Allister says a 'spin operation' is under way to cover up the ongoing existence of IRA structures in 2024
The North Antrim MP Jim Allister says that efforts are under way to obscure “the continuing role of the PIRA and its army council” after statements on the subject from the PSNI and the Labour government.
The TUV leader noted that the statements do not “deny that the PIRA continues in 2024 with all the functions and roles it was performing in 2015”.
It is the latest instalment of a long-running saga dating back to 2015, when a major report was done on the status of all Northern Ireland’s paramilitary groups.
It found that they all still exist, including the IRA. It went on to add that this includes its army council, that the group “continues to have access to some weapons”, and that its members believe the army council was overseeing Sinn Fein’s activities.
Then about a fortnight ago the PSNI told the BBC that this 2015 security assessment “has not changed”.
On Wednesday the government released a statement on the subject, saying: “The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the PSNI on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.
"This public assessment, which was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks, has not been repeated.
“Although it is acknowledged that some individuals engaged in serious criminality may also have ties to former paramilitary republican organisations, such activity does not present a threat to national security…
"The threat is wholly driven by violent dissident republicans who reject the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and not by groups that support the GFA.”
The PSNI issued a very similar statement.
In response, Mr Allister has told the News Letter: “For all its politically inspired attempts to downplay the inconvenient truths still associated with the still existing IRA, the government has not been able to deny that PIRA continues in 2024 with all the functions and roles it was performing in 2015.
"No denial that still has weapons, still gathering intelligence and still controlling Sinn Fein! It is quite obvious that there is a major spin operation in place to hide the facts about the continuing role of the PIRA and its Army Council.
"The government have calculated – one suspects correctly – that they can get away with this sleight of hand because all of the major parties with the exception of TUV are quite happy to partner the IRA’s political wing in government…
"Does anyone seriously believe that anything has changed since the 2015 assessment? Quite apart from anything else there isn’t even a process whereby the IRA could have decommissioned the weapons it retains.
"They are determined that nothing should upset the apple cart.
"However, that does not change the reality that we have had another glimpse of the immoral basis of the current system of government which grants Republicans places round the executive table as of right as long as there are Unionists prepared to turn a blind eye to the continuing role of the IRA for the sake of a ministerial limo or two.
“Does anyone seriously believe that anything has changed since the 2015 assessment? Quite apart from anything else there isn’t even a process whereby the IRA could have decommissioned the weapons it retains."