James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy McEntee, I thank Deputy Richmond for raising this important matter.

Tackling the threat posed by dissident paramilitary groups which seek to undermine peace on our island continues to be a priority for the Minister for Justice and Equality and for the Government. There are, of course, ongoing reviews of the threat assessment arising from the activities of these groups. The Minister is kept informed of the threat assessment in this regard by the Garda Commissioner.

The security assessment of the terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland is classed as severe. The dissident paramilitary groups continue to focus their efforts primarily on targeting members of the security forces in Northern Ireland. I note that earlier this week, the UK's intelligence and security committee published a report on terrorism in Northern Ireland which underlined the ongoing challenge from dissident republicans. While the threat of attack from these groups here is generally considered to be low, they still present a real and persistent threat, carrying out fundraising and planning preparatory activities to support attacks in Northern Ireland.

The authorities here are taking and will continue to take all necessary and appropriate measures to counteract the threat from dissident republicans. In the context of Brexit, a primary concern for the Minister for Justice and Equality is security matters. The Minister is committed to working to ensure there is no diminution in the security relationship which exists with regard to subversive threat.

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI remain committed to working closely together to ensure the two services will continue to protect the safety of all of those on this island. This operational relationship is absolutely central to bearing down on and disrupting the activities of these groups and, therefore, to maintaining security across the island. Examples of the close co-operation are seen on a continuing basis with co-ordinated action taken in both jurisdictions in response to specific threats. Another aspect of tackling dissident paramilitaries is to disrupt the criminal activity and associations that are the main source of funding for these dissident groups.

The joint agency task force is a positive example of the extensive North-South co-operation undertaken between the police and other law enforcement agencies aimed at tackling crime and enhancing the safety of all communities on this island. This task force is led by senior officers from An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, the Revenue Commissioners and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. A number of other relevant bodies including the National Crime Agency and the Criminal Assets Bureau are also involved in operational activity. The objective of this task force is to build on existing law enforcement frameworks and to increase the collective effectiveness of operational law enforcement actions on this island.

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