State of Northern Ireland's paramilitaries 2022: What exactly is the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC)?

But what actually is this organisation? Here is a quick explainer:

The IRC arose out of the 2015 'Fresh Start' deal.

This political agreement was designed to resurrect Stormont after years of dissent from Sinn Fein, which had refused to accept changes to the welfare system which Westminster demanded.

The wording of the 'Fresh Start' document said that "a four member international body, including persons of international standing, will be established" to look at paramilitary activity.

The UK and Irish governments would appoint two members, and the devolved NI government would appoint another two.

Its aim? To "report annually on progress towards ending continuing paramilitary activity".

The IRC issued its first report in 2018.

It is similar to – but separate from – the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), which began life in 2004.

It also produced reports into paramilitary activity, racking up some 26 of them between its foundation in 2004 and when it was wound down in 2011.

Unlike its successor the IRC, it frequently went into detail about named organisations, giving a snapshot of how each specific group was faring.

For example, in its last report in 2011, the phrases UVF and UDA appear 16 and seven times respectively, while PIRA and INLA appear 49 and three times respectively.

By contrast, the IRC's third and fourth reports – each running to about 120 pages – don't once mention any of these groups by name.

The way commissioners were appointed to the old IMC was different from the IRC, in that none of them were chosen by local Northern Irish parties.

Instead, two were appointed by the UK Government (of whom one has to be from Northern Ireland), one by the Irish government, and one "by both governments on the nomination of the US Government".

The four members of the IMC were:

Alliance grandee John Alderdice and former head of London CID John Grieve (appointed by the UK government);

Irish civil servant / barrister Joe Brosnan (appointed by the Irish government);

And former deputy director of the CIA Dick Kerr (appointed by the UK and Irish governments on the nomination of the US government).

As for the present-day IRC, its four commissioners are:

Solicitor John McBurney, whose past clients include Rev Ian Paisley and his DUP successor Peter Robinson, and former Women's Coalition MLA Prof Monica McWilliams (nominated by the Northern Ireland Executive);

Retired Irish diplomat Tim O'Connor (appointed by the Irish government);

And Mitchell Reiss, former director of policy planning at the US State Department (appointed by the UK government).

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