{"id":17275,"date":"2021-06-09T12:41:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T12:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/?p=17275"},"modified":"2022-02-26T17:27:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T17:27:30","slug":"do-the-doj-and-nio-joint-fund-an-8-million-a-year-programme-to-engage-directly-with-paramilitary-organisations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/topics\/peace\/do-the-doj-and-nio-joint-fund-an-8-million-a-year-programme-to-engage-directly-with-paramilitary-organisations\/","title":{"rendered":"Do the DOJ and NIO joint fund an \u00a38 million a year programme to engage directly with paramilitary organisations?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The cross-department Executive Programme for Tackling Paramilitary Activity and Organised Crime receives funds from the Northern Ireland Executive, and is not jointly funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). To date, there is no evidence of funds being provided for engagement directly with paramilitary organisations by the programme.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Context<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a discussion about a Loyalist outreach programme on BBC Northern Ireland\u2019s Nolan Live<\/a> (2\/6\/2021 from 09.50), the Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley Jr claimed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…remember, the Government in Northern Ireland – the Executive – is engaged in [the] Tackling Paramilitaries Programme, where the DOJ [Department of Justice] \u2014 Miss Long’s [Minister of Justice, Naomi Long<\/a>] department \u2014 and the NIO joint fund \u00a38 million a year to engagement directly with paramilitary organisations, not with LCC, but directly with the UVF, the UFF, Red Hand Commando, and others, UDA and others, and they direct engage with them …\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Loyalist Community Council<\/a> is said<\/a> to represent a range of individuals and views from the wider Protestant unionist loyalist community. The UVF, UFF, Red Hand Commando and UDA are all proscribed Loyalist terrorist organisations<\/a>. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Executive Programme for Tackling Paramilitary Activity and Organised Crime?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Fresh Start \u2013 the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan<\/a> was published by the Executive and the UK and Irish Governments on 17 November 2015. This agreement sought to \u201cset out our proposals for addressing some of the most challenging and intractable issues impacting our community, including commitments to tackle paramilitarism and organised crime\u201d. The Northern Ireland Executive appointed an independent Three Person Panel to report<\/a> back with recommendations for a strategy to disband paramilitary groups. What resulted was the Executive Programme for Tackling Paramilitary Activity and Organised Crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Independent Panel\u2019s Action Plan<\/a> detailed 43 recommendations which were grouped under four sections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Promoting lawfulness;
B: Support for transition;
C: Tackling criminality; and
D: Addressing systemic issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who funds this? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first phase of the programme,<\/a> \u00a350m was allocated for 2017\/18 to 2020\/21. The UK Government centrally provided \u00a325m over five years and this was matched by the Northern Ireland Executive, giving a total of \u00a350m<\/a> over five years 2016-2021. The programme was then extended until 2024<\/a>, with an additional \u00a323m funding allocated for 2021\/22 to 2023\/24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a cross-Executive programme, with the funding spent by multiple departments on the delivery of the 38 commitments in the action plans. The Department of Justice does not \u201cjoint fund\u201d it, as Mr Paisley claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Cross Departmental Programme Board<\/a> was established to \u201cdrive forward\u201d commitments made in A Fresh Start<\/a> and the delivery of the Action Plan<\/a> \u2014 but not the funding of it. This Board was also put in place to monitor and evaluate implementation of the action plan and report on progress. The Board is chaired by the Department of Justice, with representatives from The Executive Office, Department of Finance and Department for Communities. Other Departments with commitments in this action plan were also invited to join the Programme Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been funded? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reviewing the programme, and establishing the destination of funding as part of this programme to date, FactCheckNI found two relevant sections of the Action Plan<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n