1 Introduction
1. This Report reviews the work of the Northern
Ireland Affairs Committee during the 2008-09 parliamentary Session.
The Committee differs from most departmental select committees
because of the complex nature of devolution. The Northern Ireland
Act 1998, which transferred legislative powers to the Northern
Ireland Assembly, dramatically reduced the remit of the Northern
Ireland Office (NIO), and therefore of the Committee, whose main
function is to examine the policy, administration and expenditure
of the NIO. The Committee's remit will undoubtedly change again
should the devolution of policing and criminal justice powers
to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive be completed in
the near future.
2. The anticipated transfer of those powers has
been a major issue in Northern Ireland politics during 2008-09.
The First Minister and deputy First Minister announced in November
2008 that they had come to an agreement which would facilitate
the devolution of such powers to Northern Ireland. Agreement on
an adequate financial package has proved more problematic, although
a substantial package has been offered following a series of meetings
between the Prime Minister and the First Minister and deputy First
Minister. The Northern Ireland Act 2009 established a mechanism
by which a new minister for policing and justice could be selected,
beyond the d'Hondt method used to allocate other posts within
the power-sharing Stormont Executive. An enabling Bill is currently
passing through the Northern Ireland Assembly, and it is hoped
that the process will be completed in early 2010. Progress towards
full devolution is likely to form a major part of our own work
in the short 2009-10 session.
3. Within the realm of policing and justice,
the last session saw the departure of Sir Hugh Orde OBE as Chief
Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), after
seven years in the position. We have conveyed our best wishes
to Sir Hugh and congratulated him on his outstanding work in an
extremely difficult role. We look forward to working closely with
his successor, Mr Matt Baggott, the former Chief Constable of
Leicestershire. We are glad also to note the appointment of Judith
Gillespie—herself a witness during our inquiry into Cross-border
co-operation between the Governments of the United Kingdom and
the Republic of Ireland—as Deputy Chief Constable of the
PSNI, the first woman to hold the post.
4. As we said in our Report on cross-border co-operation,
the daily bravery of PSNI officers is something we can all too
easily take for granted, and the dangers officers face were illustrated
this year by the murder of Police Constable Stephen Carroll on
9 March 2009. Just two days earlier, two British soldiers—sappers
Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey—were also murdered, outside
Massereene Barracks in Antrim. The swift revulsion expressed from
all communities within Northern Ireland as they came together
as one to condemn the actions of those who wish to return to the
Troubles which have disfigured the past 40 years was heartily
welcome. It was exemplified on the steps of Stormont when the
First Minister, Rt Hon Mr Peter Robinson, the deputy First Minister,
Mr Martin McGuinness, and Sir Hugh Orde, stood together in a display
of unity against those who would return to terror.
5. Since the shootings, dissident republican
groups are reported as having remained active. The 22nd
report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, published on
4 November 2009 and focusing on the six months from 1 March to
31 August 2009, stated that "the overall level of dissident
activity was markedly higher than we have seen since we first
met late in 2003".[1]
The report went on say that "the seriousness, range and tempo
of their activities all changed for the worse in these six months".[2]
In October 2009, more positively, the Irish National Liberation
Army (INLA) renounced violence and committed to achieve its aims
through peaceful means. Significant acts of decommissioning have
also been conducted by loyalist groups, including the Ulster Defence
Association (UDA). The Northern Ireland Decommissioning Act 1997
(Amnesty Period) Order 2009 extended the deadline for decommissioning
without prosecution to 9 February 2010. The Secretary of State
for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP, announced this
would be the last extension of the amnesty period.
6. It is vital to the Committee's work that we
visit Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as frequently
as is possible. During 2008-09 we visited Northern Ireland three
times and the Republic of Ireland twice. These visits not only
allow us to take evidence for our ongoing inquiries, but give
Members the opportunity to meet members and representatives of
groups across the community.
7. We have engaged significantly with the churches
in Northern Ireland during the past year, in recognition of the
vital influence that they may bring to bear in continuing to unite
the community. We were honoured to be invited to attend the ecumenical
St Patrick's Day service at Downpatrick Cathedral, and to attend
services held by both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic
Church in Downpatrick on that day. We were also privileged to
participate in the Downpatrick St Patrick's Day Parade. We were
able, too, to meet privately the Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh,
the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and senior members
of the Presbyterian and Methodist communions. We thank all who
took the time to meet us both as part of inquiries and informally.
8. During 2008-09, the Committee published two
Reports, on the Work of the Committee in 2007-08 and on
Cross-border co-operation between the Governments of the United
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. An Annex is attached
showing the conclusions and recommendations contained in those
Reports and the Government's response.
9. The Committee launched four new inquiries
during the 2008-09 Session, looking at the report of the Consultative
Group on the Past, a Human Rights Bill for Northern Ireland, Television
Broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the Omagh bombing. We expect
to publish Reports on all four subjects early in 2010, together
with a brief Report on progress towards devolution.
1 Twenty-Second Report of the Independent Monitoring
Commission, HC (2008-09) 1085, p. 5 Back
2
Twenty-Second Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission,
HC (2008-09) 1085, p. 5 Back
|
