IRA and other NI paramilitary groups ‘still exist’
The Provisional IRA and the other main paramilitary groups from the Troubles “are still in existence” but are committed to peace, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers tells MPs.
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Ms Villiers was responding to the publication of a report drafted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and MI5, which said that while none of the main paramilitary groups was currently planning attacks, dissident republicans “pose a severe threat to NI’s security and stability and, at any given time, a terrorist attack is highly likely”.
She said that, unlike dissident republicans, the Provisional IRA and loyalist paramilitaries remained committed to the peace process.
Ms Villiers told MPs: “On the purpose of these groups the report concludes that ‘it is our firm assessment that the leaderships of the main paramilitary groups are committed to peaceful means to achieve their political objectives’ but that ‘we judge that individual members of paramilitary groups with a legacy of violent activity still represent a threat to national security’.”
Murder
The report was commissioned after the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr, whose death in August was linked by police to former IRA members.
The IRA’s political wing, Sinn Fein, is part of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive and the murder caused a political crisis and led to the resignation of First Minister Peter Robinson and most of his Democratic Unionist Party ministerial colleagues.
Ms Villiers said the report had concluded that it was “highly unlikely” the main paramilitary groups would return to terrorism, and if they did so, they “would be unable to resurrect the capability demonstrated at their peak”.
Terrorist attacks
On the Provisional IRA, she said the report had found that “the structures of PIRA remain in existence in a much reduced form”, including the army council.
The report said: “It is our firm assessment that PIRA’s leadership remains committed to the peace process and its aim of achieving a united Ireland by political means.
The group is not involved in targeting or conducting terrorist attacks against the state”.
Ms Villiers said that, 17 years after the Belfast Agreement, it was “clearly unacceptable” that the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries still existed.
