Debate contribution: Tackling Paramilitarism
Debate contribution by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on .
- MLA
- Dr Steve Aiken OBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 15 October 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Tackling Paramilitarism
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4592576
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the leader of the Opposition for bringing this valuable debate to the Chamber. One of the issues facing the Assembly and, indeed, society in Northern Ireland is that we have given agency to so-called paramilitaries when instead, as my learned friend behind me has said on many occasions, we should call them for what they are. This is mafia gangsterism. It is organised crime, organised child abuse, drug dealing and extortion. Those are things that should have left society in Northern Ireland a long time ago. I am talking about not just one part of the community but all parts of the community. Those things are prevalent in areas such as north and west Belfast, but they are also prevalent in Londonderry, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ballyclare and Antrim. Those things should not be happening 25 years on. One of the reasons why those things happen is that we have given those organisations agency for far too long. They should have gone away 25 years ago. The fact that we still give them agency gives them a degree of legitimacy that they do not have. Anybody who understands anything that is happening around the world, particularly in areas where this sort of mafia conspiracy exists with various groups, and looks at the communities that they infect — that is what they do — will ask, "What happens to those communities?". Are those communities vibrant, with good cultural life, good economic opportunities and good health outcomes? No, they are not. They are the elements of society that are left further and further behind. One of the most damning indictments of this place and, indeed, the Executive and the political parties over the years — regrettably, to some degree, our party has been involved in this — is that we have never tackled the problems fully head-on. One of the things that we must do, instead of talking about it, is to engage in it. Primarily, this is an issue for justice and policing. We can talk about the economic, social and cultural issues, but, until the malign influence of those who perpetrate violence in our communities is removed, we will get nowhere. We have heard time and time again from the PSNI about how constrained it is and time and time again about how other agencies are not coordinated and enabled to work together. We have talked about a lack of direction from the top. Every one of those things should have been addressed. It is primarily a justice issue, and it is an operational matter that should focus the attention of not just the Justice Minister but the rest of the Ministers in the Executive. That needs to be progressed at pace. It is ironic that a member of one of the organisations came to me not so long ago to complain about the harassment that he felt from HMRC. He felt that every one of his business dealings was being dealt with microscopically and, every time he went to the airport, the Border Agency stopped him and asked him where he was going. He was particularly asked about how he managed to afford holidays in Spain and everything else. If that is what puts fear into those groups, why are we not building on that? Why are we not progressing that? Why are we not making that a priority for the Assembly and the Executive? That is what we should be doing right now. We should not be debating paramilitaries and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland; it should have gone a long time ago. If there is anything that we should do as Assembly Members, it is reinforcing the message to the Northern Ireland Executive, the Justice Minister and the agencies to get on with it and solve the problem. We will not make things better for our disadvantaged communities while they suffer from the mafia-type gangsterism that is in our society. We need to move on from that.
659 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.12 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.77).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.78).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.07 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.08 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.16 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.06 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.77 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.12 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.78 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.21 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.97 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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