Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this. He has raised it previously. I do not want to outline what he knows already exists but for those who potentially do not, the commission was established under the Fresh Start agreement to report on measures aimed at ending paramilitarism. The commission has submitted six reports to the UK and Irish Governments to date, the most recent of which was last December. We have welcomed the reports. I have engaged with the commission while recognising the significant role it plays in highlighting the progress that has been made tackling residual paramilitarism in Northern Ireland but also highlighting what needs to be done. This is very much the next step in terms of trying to move even further in removing it completely from the communities in Northern Ireland. The Governments have discussed the analysis and the recommendations of the commission including through the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Both Governments agreed to the commission's recommendation for the appointment of the independent person to engage and to report on the possible establishment of a formal process of comprehensive group transition and that it has the potential to make a positive contribution. My view is still very much the same, that is, this is a welcome recommendation and we should try to progress it. We are doing that. We are continuing our joint work to consider this recommendation and in fact at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference to be held next Monday, when I will travel with the Tánaiste, this issue will be discussed again by the Tánaiste and me with the British Government. I am keen that progress will be achieved. I assure the Deputy that we are committed to continuing this constructive engagement with the commission, with the British Government and the Northern Ireland Executive in respect of the work of the commission to tackle this issue. While I cannot report much more progress from when we met the last time, there is ongoing engagement between both jurisdictions. I hope that in Monday's meeting, we will be able to make more progress and that we will be able to give some sort of a definitive pathway or timeline to try to reach that point.

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