Oral Answers to Questions

Karl McCartney Excerpts

Wednesday 6th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the threat to security in Northern Ireland posed by residual terrorist groups.

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

7. What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of the threat to security in Northern Ireland posed by residual terrorist groups.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Paterson]

It is almost impossible to stress how closely we are now working. Last week, I met Eamon Gilmore, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and I had several discussions in the last week with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence. I also recently saw the Garda commissioner. The Garda is to be wholly congratulated on its recent raid at Hackballscross in County Louth, where a significant amount of lethal matériel was apprehended. I am delighted to confirm that the co-operation with the PSNI gets better from month to month.

[Karl MᶜCartney]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that at a time of such pressure on the public finances, the exceptional deal to the give the PSNI an extra £200 million over the next four years is a clear demonstration that this Government will always stand by Northern Ireland?

[Mr Paterson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the chance to remind the House that we endorsed £50 million last year and a further unprecedented £200 million over the next four years. We are absolutely determined to bear down on the current threat, and I am delighted that Matt Baggot, the Chief Constable, to whom I spoke this morning, confirmed that we

“have the resources, the resilience and…the commitment”

to meet that threat.