Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries
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Police Service of Northern Ireland 25 years on: More still to do on funding, security and officer representation, MPs say
More needs to be done to ensure funding is adequate for the unique policing and security challenges in Northern Ireland, MPs say today, in a report that also calls for action on PSNI officer numbers and representation.
The recommendations from the cross-party Northern Ireland Affairs Committee come after an inquiry set up to examine how policing and the security environment has evolved since the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s establishment 25 years ago, following the recommendation of the Patten Commission.
The committee acknowledges the progress made by the UK Government, Northern Ireland Executive and the PSNI in securing increased support and confidence in policing across communities but concludes that there is still more to do on funding, security and recruitment.
The report says that legacy investigations and legal action unique to Northern Ireland continue to be a drain on policing resources and highlights how the PSNI has faced a real-terms budget cut since 2011.
The Committee repeats its recommendation from its previous report on addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland for the UK Government to provide a dedicated, ring-fenced funding stream to meet legacy costs.
On PSNI recruitment, the report calls for an independent comprehensive analysis to determine the most appropriate level of officer and staff numbers. While commending the PSNI for the strides it has made in becoming a more representative police service since its formation in 2001, the committee warns that progress has stalled.
With projections indicating a likely decline in the number of officers from a Catholic background, and with individuals from ethnic minority and working-class backgrounds remaining underrepresented, the report calls for the PSNI to act. It should consider setting up a cadet-style scheme and researching barriers to applications to the service from under-represented groups, the report says.
Finally, with the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism and paramilitary activity persisting, the committee calls on the UK Government to explain why Northern Ireland is not able to access the counter-terrorism funding stream provide to forces in England and Wales.
Chair comment
Tonia Antoniazzi MP, Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, said:
“Over the last 25 years the PSNI has played a pivotal role in supporting the transition from the Troubles to peace and stability in Northern Ireland, but there is still more to do to ensure the service is fit for today’s challenges and representative of the people it protects and serves across all communities.
“The UK Government needs to recognise the drain on the PSNI’s already stretched budget and impact on day-to-day policing of the service’s involvement in legacy investigations and provide a specific pot of funding.
“There also must be much more transparency about how security funding is allocated. Whilst the security situation has improved significantly, as recent attacks show, the threat from paramilitaries and Northern Ireland-related terrorism remains.
“For the PSNI to be truly effective, it needs to be representative of the people that it serves. Progress recruiting from across communities has largely stalled and the PSNI needs to redouble its efforts to increase numbers from underrepresented groups, particularly Catholic staff and officers.”
Further information
- About Parliament: Select committees
- Visiting Parliament: Watch committees
- Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Original article link: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/120/northern-ireland-affairs-committee/news/213700/police-service-of-northern-ireland-25-years-on-more-still-to-do-on-funding-security-and-officer-representation-mps-say/
