Debate contribution: Tackling Paramilitarism

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 15 October 2024.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

15 October 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Tackling Paramilitarism

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4592592

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I support the motion. We still have a problem with paramilitary organisations not only existing but dictating life, intimidating people and whipping up sectarianism and racism in society. Stormont has not only played a role in allowing those organisations to exist but has, often, funded them through front organisations and has elevated them above other important groups in society. I strongly condemn the recent elevation of the LCC by the Communities Minister and Education Minister. You cannot talk about ending paramilitarism whilst having an open door to organisations that prey on working-class communities, vulnerable people and everybody. At the same time as meeting groups such as the LCC, Ministers refused to meet hundreds of organisations, including the Equality Coalition, the Cliff Edge Coalition, the Women's Policy Group, Conradh na Gaeilge and the Department for Communities' own gender equality strategy and anti-poverty strategy co-design groups, to name but a few. That is shocking stuff. There is no room for them to meet anti-poverty groups, yet the red carpet is rolled out for paramilitary organisations. You could not make this stuff up. An obvious question is this: why or how do paramilitary groups still exist? In part, it is because of direct action taken by some Stormont Ministers to elevate them and to operate a guarantor system for them, but it is also because of Stormont's role in maintaining, deepening and overseeing a divided society. Paramilitary groups rub their hands with glee when they see segregation in housing and education being maintained. We have to talk about Stormont's economic strategy, which has left many people at the mercy of paramilitary organisations. How many people have gone to paramilitary organisations to seek a loan when they cannot afford to pay rent because of the cost-of-living crisis, benefit sanctions and so on? Those groups thrive on the economic deprivation and misery that Stormont has promoted through its policies. Will older people be going to paramilitary organisations for loans this winter because of the cut to the winter fuel payment? I do not know, but the question needs to be posed and answered. Paramilitary organisations act as gatekeepers, keeping people in misery. They act to thwart any attempt to have class unity and people fighting collectively against the Government and their policies. It would be remiss of me not to mention the role that loyalist paramilitaries played in the race riots that took place in the summer in Belfast and other parts of the North. We have to challenge robustly the nonsense that some people have put out that there was no paramilitary involvement but rather that it was members of those paramilitary groups with a different hat on who were engaging in the racist violence. If it walks like a duck and looks like a duck: you know the saying. All the talk of legitimate concerns about migration further bolsters paramilitary organisations' role and position in communities. I repeat: there are no legitimate concerns when we are talking about immigration. Rather, there is misinformation that needs to be challenged and called out by Ministers, especially in the House. That has not always been the case, as some have given succour through the repetition of that dangerous point. I support the motion, but an obvious point that is missing from it concerns the role of state forces, particularly groups such as MI5. I have raised that issue previously in the context of its spying on journalists. How many activists, political reps, MLAs, trade unionists — anybody who challenges the status quo — are spied on, pressured or threatened by that organisation? How many people are pressured or threatened into becoming informants? We do not have the answer to that. We know that many, and probably all, paramilitary organisations are riddled with MI5 informants. We therefore need to disband those groups, which instil fear and terror in people here. We also need to end the practice of public bodies encouraging victims of violence, particularly victims of racist violence, to engage with the "community". That, quite often, is code for paramilitary organisations. I have experienced that and have worked with people who have been victims of racist violence who were told to engage with community leaders. What is meant by that is, in fact, leaders of paramilitary organisations. That issue was raised at the Committee for the Executive Office a matter of weeks ago, and I can confirm that it happens. Unfortunately, it is commonplace. The control that those terrible organisations have over people's lives needs to come to an end.

754 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

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.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification