Lord Empey has said those who refuse to abandon paramilitary activity and pursue a peaceful path must be subject to sanctions.

The Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Act 2016 (Independent Reporting Commission) Regulations 2016 came before the House of Lords this week.

Lord Empey said:

“It is deeply disappointing that the new independent reporting commission, outlined in the Stormont Agreement, will not have any powers to impose sanctions on people it deems to have participated in paramilitary activity. 

“One would have hoped that in the time since the ceasefires twenty-two years ago we would have seen paramilitary activity disappear altogether by now.  But, while there has been a decrease, further progress seems to have plateaued.

“We are now in the ridiculous situation where the action plan to make progress on these issues has not met the Government’s requirements, so the £5million in funding they had committed has not been released.  We need to know when the Executive will have the work on a more detailed action plan completed.  There can be no further delays in dealing with these issues.  These organisations still exist.   They still pose a threat to life.  They are still engaging in serious criminality.   They are still suppressing communities. 

“I do not understand why we have this continual paralysis from the Executive.  When we finally see the next iteration of the action plan, its endgame needs to be clearer. There needs to be timescales and measurable targets.  We need to see how these will be resourced.  Ultimately, those who choose the path of destruction need to know they will be hit with sanctions.”