The Prime Minister replied: “We are committed to making progress towards ending paramilitaries once and for all in Northern Ireland, and that’s why we have agreed to support a short independent exercise to look at a formal process, and I’ll make sure that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland keeps her updated.”.
There is “no question of paying anybody any money to disband”, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has told MPs as they raised concerns over transition of paramilitary groups.
During Northern Ireland questions Ms Hanna asked Mr Benn to commit to “ensuring that there is no payday for former paramilitaries” and that group would be bound to “preconditions on things like emblems and their financial assets”.
She said a transition process needs to include “no rewards for paramilitaries for hanging on, robust criminal justice, the flags off the lampposts on street corners, and community funded policing to allow communities that have been brutalised by paramilitaries to finally look forward to a confident and shared future”.
The UK and Irish Governments have announced plans to appoint an independent figure to examine whether a formal process of engagement with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland is required to bring about their disbandment.
