Debate contribution: Car Bomb at Dunmurry Police Station

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 27 April 2026.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

27 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Matter of the Day

Heading

Car Bomb at Dunmurry Police Station

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5508050

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Rightly, all of us find these events deeply concerning. That was the second such attack in a matter of months, and that alone should give us all pause for thought. They are not isolated incidents; they suggest something more deliberate and sinister that we, as elected Members, cannot afford to ignore. For many people across Northern Ireland, this will be a disturbing reminder of the past. The nature of the attack and the fear that it was designed to create will resonate far beyond the immediate incident. People recognise what it looks like, and they understand the damage that it can do and continues to do not just physically but to confidence and to their everyday lives. There is no place for such violence in our society. It was a clear attempt to create fear and instability and should be recognised as that. We cannot allow those responsible to drag us back. It serves no one, least of all the community that they claim to represent. It is a manipulation for their own selfish aims.

This incident will also have had a very real impact on those closest to it: the officers who serve at the station and the staff who work there. Local residents in Dunmurry — families, mothers and children — will have been deeply affected. Such an incident affects people's sense of safety and normality, and that should not be underestimated. It will have created a trauma for which people will undoubtedly need support, but, sadly, it is not there. It is also a reminder of the reality of policing. The police are often criticised, but they serve to keep us safe, and they should be able to carry out that role without facing threats of this nature. Sadly, those threats have continued for the police and for others on the front line. They have not gone away. Whilst we seem to be in peaceful times in Northern Ireland — thankfully, we have come such a long way from where we were — those threats continue, and those officers and their families and communities live with that every day. The overwhelming majority of people want a safe community and a stable future. That is what people expect and deserve, not least after years of the Troubles and violence. Those responsible for these events seek to create fear, division and uncertainty. They should not and will not succeed in doing so, because the direction of travel in Northern Ireland is forward. It is shaped by the many people who have chosen peace and stability every day. These events are serious and should be treated as such, but the future of Northern Ireland will not be shaped by those who carry out attacks such as this, and we, as elected representatives, must ensure that it is not.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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