Question
To ask the Director General of the National Crime Agency: As paramilitary organised crime with its relationship with OCGs, the harms that are caused are enduring elements of life in NI, does the DG of the NCA agree that paramilitary organised crime should be, year-on-year, part of the NCA over-arching annual strategic assessment and that not doing so in the 2026 NCA assessment on the basis that things “had not changed materially” from before may not help confidence and fails to name an issue that should be?
Answer
We understand the paramilitarism landscape and links to organised crime is complex and we continue to coordinate our response with a wide range of partners. As I set out in my last letter, the specific role of paramilitaries in organised crime in Northern Ireland was not covered in the overarching NSA this year, which took a new approach in being structured by domain (looking at SOC transnationally, at the border, online, within finance, and within communities) rather than by crime type. I also noted that the subject has been covered before in the NSA, and no doubt will be again in other classified assessment products that are shared with PSNI and other partners
1.2. It is worth noting that the NSA and the wider suite of classified NCA assessment products is complemented by the assessment products prepared by partner organisations. In this context I would draw your attention to the work of the Independent Reporting Commission (IRC), created under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement, to provide analysis and monitor progress towards ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.
1.3. The IRC published their eighth report in December 2025, which states: paramilitarism remains a live and serious issue, with paramilitary groups still posing a threat to communities, individuals, and society. The intimidation, coercive control and threats linked to paramilitary groups persist, and the structures of paramilitary groups that continue intact can be used to facilitate organised crime and other forms of violence1. I’m sure you are also aware of our stakeholder involvement and continued engagement regarding the future delivery arrangements for the Northern Ireland Executive’s Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime which seeks to undertake a whole system approach to tackling paramilitarism and organised crime.
Colin McGrath MLA - SDLP