Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has expressed his disappointment at the Government’s confirmation that the National Crime Agency will not be fully operational in Northern Ireland due to opposition from Sinn Fein and the SDLP.

 Lord Empey said:

 “I tabled a question at Westminster asking the Government what steps they have taken to establish the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland.

 “Responding for the Government, Lord Taylor of Holbeach said that the National Crime Agency will be established through the Crime and Courts Bill which is currently going through Parliament and confirmed that “as a result of the Northern Ireland Executive’s decision not to take forward legislative consent for the National Crime Agency, the Bill includes a new schedule (The NCA: Northern Ireland) which sets out those provisions that will not extend to Northern Ireland together with a series of order-making powers to fully extend the NCA provisions, subject to the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly, should the position in Northern Ireland change.”

 “The NCA will still operate in Northern Ireland and the Bill preserves the Agency’s activities in relation to reserved/excepted matters in Northern Ireland.”

 Lord Empey continued:

 “The Ulster Unionist party remains extremely disappointed by the Northern Ireland Executive’s decision not to give legislative consent for the new National Crime Agency.

 “We are in real danger of permitting a situation to develop whereby this part of the United Kingdom and its citizens should be denied the same level of protection from serious and organised crime that will be enjoyed by our fellow citizens in the remainder of the United Kingdom.

 “Not only will we be less protected but Northern Ireland could well become a gateway into the rest of the United Kingdom for organised criminal gangs.

 “Perhaps it is hardly surprising that Sinn Fein should seek to restrict the operation of the NCA but I must confess to feeling extremely let down by the SDLP. I really thought they were better than that.”

 “'In order to properly protect the people of Northern Ireland from criminal activity, the PSNI may well have to take on more responsibilities and pay for the extra work out of its own resources. The Executive owes the people of Northern Ireland an explanation for its actions and the Justice Minister must spell out the consequences.”