The Irish and British governments are to appoint an independent expert to examine the potential for a formal process of engagement with paramilitary groups to work towards their disbandment.
The simultaneous announcement was made in response to the publication on Tuesday of the seventh report of the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC), the body that monitors progress towards ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.
The independent expert will conduct a “short scoping and engagement exercise” to assess whether there is merit in a formal process of engagement to bring about paramilitary group transition to disbandment, said Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Northern Secretary Hilary Benn in separate statements.
The move was welcomed by the commissioners – John McBurney, Monica McWilliams, Tim O’Connor and Mitchell Reiss – as a “very positive development”.
There was a mixed political reaction immediately after the announcement, with Alliance Party MP Sorcha Eastwood saying the British government should “tell these illegal groups they should disband immediately” rather than appoint a go-between.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said “victims [are] being created today, not least by the criminals exercising coercive control on communities” and it [is] a difficult decision, but “the right one”. In Belfast, Monica McWilliams said, “doing nothing isn’t an option any more”.
“Undoubtedly, there will be some groups who are saying, we may not be going anywhere, but there are others who are wanting a process,” she said.
She also emphasised that there would be no inducements or financial incentives to encourage paramilitaries to disband.
“There’s going to be political turbulence,” said Tim O’Connor. However, this initiative is coming from “two sovereign governments who have the ultimate responsibility”.
In their report, the commissioners said 2024 was “mixed” in terms of paramilitarism. Shootings and paramilitary-style assaults have decreased, bombings and casualties from paramilitary-style shootings “remained consistent”, they said.
[ Paramilitarism a ‘clear and present danger’ in North, reporting body findsOpens in new window ]
“Intimidation, coercive control and threats linked to paramilitary groups persist and remain a real concern,” they added.
The commissioners also identified “shifting dynamics” within and loyalist paramilitary groups, including leadership changes, reported splits, speculation about possible feuds and increasing interactions with organised crime.
There were also 1,353 race-related hate incidents in 2024, some of which had links to paramilitaries.
The report re-emphasised the need for a “twin track” approach to tackling paramilitarism,that combines law enforcement and criminal justice responses with tackling socio-economic conditions.
It calls for a “third dimension” to work alongside “an agreed formal process of group transition, involving direct engagement with the paramilitary groups themselves, in order to bring about their ending”.
The report made three new recommendations, including that the Northern Executive should explore whether government departments could look for opportunities for mainstream policies to play a part in tackling paramilitarism.
