Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his assessment of the level of criminal activity engaged in by paramilitaries in the State; the types of such criminal activity; if he has satisfied himself that the Garda Síochána has sufficient resources to deal with such activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21639/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The fifth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission on the continuing activities of paramilitary groups, submitted pursuant to Articles 4 and 7 of the international agreement establishing the IMC, was published last month. This report, as with previous reports, sets out, inter alia, an assessment of the current activities of paramilitary groups and details incidents of violence and exiling. Although most of the activities reported refer specifically to Northern Ireland, some do not and the general assessment of each group's status is broadly as valid to the south as to the north of the Border.

In the case of the Real IRA, the IMC states that it is the most active of the dissident republican groups and remains engaged in acts of terrorism and organised crime. The IMC goes on to state that RIRA has recruited and trained members in the use of firearms and has continued to improve its capacity in the use of explosives. The IMC believes this is the work of an organisation which is ruthless and committed to terrorism. I am pleased to note that the Special Criminal Court last week sentenced five members of RIRA to imprisonment on conviction for membership of an unlawful organisation. One of these members was described as the officer commanding of RIRA in Munster, with three of the others described as constituting an active service unit.

In respect of the Continuity IRA, the IMC states that it has continued to be sporadically active. CIRA has undertaken some re-organisation, particularly in its command structure, which the IMC believes may indicate an intention to increase its level of activity. CIRA continues to take on new members and to train, including in the use of rifles and explosives, and it is making efforts to improve its engineering capacity, particularly with regard to explosives, and its access to weapons. Two members of CIRA were arrested in this jurisdiction in January 2005 for possession of an under-car explosive device. The IMC goes on to state that CIRA has no interest in a ceasefire and believes that it plans to continue to engage in terrorism and other crimes, possibly more than in the recent past.

In the case of the INLA, the IMC states that its members remain very actively involved in organised crime, including drugs, although its level of activity is not as high as in previous reporting periods. The IMC adds that the threat of the organisation's more active engagement remains.

The IMC states that the Provisional IRA continues to maintain its medium term effectiveness. It continues to recruit and train new members, including in the use of firearms and explosives, and continues to gather intelligence. The IMC goes on to state that PIRA remains engaged in organised crime, including, for example, the smuggling of fuel and tobacco. Moreover, recent events have shown PIRA's sophisticated use of money laundering as a means of securing in the long term the proceeds of serious crime, such as the Northern Bank raid. The IMC concludes by noting that PIRA remains a highly active organisation which is at present determined to maintain its effectiveness in terms of organised crime and the potential for terrorism.

The Garda authorities assure me that the Garda Síochána has sufficient resources to deal with the terrorist and criminal activities of paramilitary groups. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Síochána has never been better resourced. For example, the Government has increased the Garda budget by more than 90%, from €599 million in 1997 to €1.39 billion in 2005——

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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We can do without the commercial.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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——and more than 1,000 new gardaí per year will be recruited over the next three years to bring the strength of the force to 14,000, as promised in the programme for Government.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister to reply to the question, which sought his assessment of the level of criminal activity. I am aware of the IMC report. Is the level of activity of paramilitaries increasing, being maintained or decreasing? That is what I am after.

I would also like some indication of whether he has any idea of the numbers involved in such activity. Will he inform the House on whether the recent upsurge in crime and armed robberies has any connection with freelance or redundant republicans, in terms of personnel or the provision of arms for such robberies?

I am genuinely on an information seeking mission. I want to know whether we are seeing a decline or an increase in the level of activity or if there has been no change. That is the point of my question.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There are reasons to believe the Provos are engaged in a process of consultation on how the entire movement, that is, the IRA and Sinn Féin, will address the new situation created by the political circumstances obtaining in Northern Ireland, the fact that they were discovered to be the masterminds and perpetrators of the Northern Bank robbery and the money laundering in the South and the involvement of their members in the murder of Robert McCartney. I believe those consultations are at an advanced stage and it is now a matter for the leadership of the Provisional movement to decide when they will announce an end to paramilitary activity, criminality, violence, the threat of violence and their reign of terror in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.

In terms of the other groups, Deputy O'Keeffe will be aware that they continue to attempt to get their act together. The Garda continues to have considerable success in breaking up their efforts and detecting their activities. With regard to freelance activities, there is some sporadic evidence that former paramilitaries are now turning to ordinary criminality as a lifestyle maintenance activity outside their paramilitary connections. Recently, a number of incidents have taken place in which these kinds of people, apparently acting for personal gain, have become involved.

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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In terms of the numbers involved, can the Minister give the House any indication of the size of these organisations, in particular, the Provisional IRA? The Minister seems to hope the Provisional IRA and its leadership at political and paramilitary level may arrive at a conclusion which will end all paramilitary and criminal activity. Could the Minister give an indication as to what sort of timeframe he hopes for or expects in that regard?

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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It is difficult to be precise on numbers because, if we knew the exact figures, many of our problems would be solved. It is fair to say that there are between 1,000 and 1,500 active volunteers in the IRA. None of the dissident groups would have many more than 150 people attached to them.

In terms of timeframes for this, obviously, the sooner these decisions are made the better. However, they have to be made in a credible way and be accompanied by acts. The Taoiseach made it clear to the Provisional movement that words alone will not suffice. They have to be accompanied by acts and inaction of a palpable kind which will convince, not only the members of those movements, but the community at large and, in particular, the community which has most to fear from them that it is well and truly over.