Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if in relation to the 13th report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, he is concerned at ongoing paramilitary and criminal behaviour by loyalist organisations; if he has raised this issue with the British Secretary of State and with the authorities in Northern Ireland; his views on whether efforts to assist and develop loyalist areas that his Department are involved in are compromised by the activities of these groups. [4326/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Independent Monitoring Commission confirmed in its 13th Report that efforts by some in the leadership of the UVF and UDA to move those organisations away from violence and criminality are continuing, but that progress on this front remains mixed and limited. While it is to be welcomed that the level of loyalist shootings has "continued to decline sharply" in the period of the report, and that the incidence of loyalist assaults is lower, I am concerned that the leaderships of both the UDA and UVF have reportedly decided against early decommissioning.

The ongoing paramilitary activities and sectarian violence on the part of loyalist groups are a consistent feature of our discussions with the British side at all levels. I discussed the situation with Secretary of State Hain at the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference meeting in December, and at more recent meetings. Following the publication of the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman's report on the McCord case, I took the opportunity once again to call publicly for loyalist decommissioning and an end to criminality.

The Government remains committed to supporting leaders in loyalism who are attempting to transform their communities in a positive way, and are working to achieve an end to paramilitary violence and criminality. It is clear that in any effort to develop loyalist communities, the complete cessation of paramilitary activity and the decommissioning of all weapons is a crucial issue.

We have seen tremendous progress in normalising the security environment in Northern Ireland in recent years, as well as full decommissioning by the IRA and a complete shift to a political path. In this context, the need for greater progress by loyalist groups in ending paramilitarism and engaging with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning is all the more urgent. I call upon all those in positions of influence in these communities to work in support of this objective.