Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that up to 15% of UDR members were members of loyalist paramilitaries; and the action he will take when he is dealing with justice matters and the British Government. [17845/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I have noted with concern the contents of a document dated 14 August 1973, emanating from British Military Intelligence, extracts of which were recently printed in the Irish News. This document stated that the assessment at that time was that between 5% and 15% of the membership of the UDR were also simultaneously members of a number of loyalist paramilitary organisations. Following the publication of this document, we raised the matter with the British authorities and requested further information through the framework of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. We will continue to pursue the matter through that framework.

I understand also that the document in question has been forwarded to the Historical Enquiries Team of the PSNI, whose task it is to investigate all unsolved murders in Northern Ireland arising from the conflict there. The HET is staffed by senior police officers from outside Northern Ireland. The Government will continue to monitor the ongoing work of the HET in this regard.

The UDR was subsequently amalgamated with the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) in 1992. In August 2005, the British Government announced that the Northern-Ireland based Battalions of the RIR would be disbanded as part of the overall normalisation of security arrangements. The Government is closely monitoring the ongoing roll-out of this normalisation process which includes the closure of barracks and military installations, and a sizeable reduction in the overall number of British troops stationed in Northern Ireland.