THE COMPLETION of the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Executive will clearly demonstrate to dissident republicans that they have “no place in Northern Ireland today”, Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward has said.
Speaking at Stormont yesterday, Mr Woodward also disclosed that there were 37 hoax incidents in Lurgan and Belfast on Monday.
A number of vehicles were hijacked and set alight in different parts of the city, while yesterday morning there were a small number of further similar incidents in west Belfast, all of which eventually were declared hoaxes.
A security alert on the Springfield Road forced the closure of St Aidan’s primary school, with 350 children being sent home.
Referring to the hoaxes and the Real IRA killings of two British soldiers and the Continuity IRA killing of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll, Mr Woodward said: “While there may be a small group of criminals who may be capable of organising and launching these cowardly attacks, they cannot succeed in disrupting the extraordinary political progress which is so deeply rooted here.”
His ministerial colleague Paul Goggins separately reported that the number of Catholics in the PSNI has now reached 26 per cent as a result of the 50:50 Catholic/Protestant recruitment rules. The PSNI was now on course to reach 30 per cent Catholic composition by the target of 2011 when 50:50 recruitment is to end, he said.
Mr Woodward, in addressing the Northern Assembly and Executive Review Committee, which is examining how and when justice powers should be devolved from Westminster to Stormont, said the best way to react to the dissidents was to press ahead with political progress in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Secretary said dissident groups feared the successful completion of devolution to the Northern Executive.
Some members pressed Mr Woodward for assurances that when devolution happened, the new department of justice, the police and judiciary would be properly funded. DUP committee chairman Jimmy Spratt said there would be additional pressures on the policing budget, with up to 3,000 claims for hearing loss by police officers.
Last week PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said the dissident threat would require an additional £76 million (€82 million) in police funding over the next two years.
Mr Woodward said he was conscious of these extra financial demands and was discussing them with British prime minister Gordon Brown and the treasury. He acknowledged that the hearing loss claim was an additional pressure, with the original £68 million estimate to cover claims now reaching £130 million.
In Brussels, European Commission president José Manuel Barroso said he was “very concerned” about the upsurge in violence in the North but was confident the peace process would succeed.
He also pledged the EU would continue supporting the process of reconciliation in Northern Ireland, which he described as “one of the great successes in Europe” over recent years.
“I am very concerned with some recent developments in terms of violence in northern Ireland,” said Mr Barroso before meeting Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Brussels to discuss efforts to attract investment and reconciliation.
