Terror Policing Cash Sparks Division

There has been friction between the two main political parties at Stormont over a plea for extra money to fight the growing terrorist threat.

Just weeks after the Prime Minister pledged to fight the "increasing" threat from dissident republicans, the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott has sought fresh reassurances from the Government that he will continue to have access to funding from the treasury reserve to tackle the terrorist threat.

This year the UK Treasury made £50.3m available for the PSNI to deal with security risks but it is now understood that Mr Baggott stressed to the Government the importance of ensuring the same level of cash is available over the next five years.

Speaking at his party's conference in Birmingham earlier this month, Conservative leader and PM David Cameron said he would use "every means at our disposal" to combat the threat and now, a PSNI spokeswoman said the force has been in discussions with the NI Policing Board, NIO, Justice Department and the Treasury "to ensure we secure the funding necessary to adequately counter the current terrorist threat whilst at the same time continuing to deliver a personal, professional and protective policing service".

However, the call has underlined continuing division at the Stormont Assembly with NI Policing Board member Jonathan Bell - who is also a DUP MLA - challenging Sinn Fein members to move from "fantasy to reality" on the level of dissident republican terror threat.

Speaking after "indications that the Government was sympathetic to the application to the Treasury Reserve for £200m over five years" the Strangford MLA said: "Some people need a reality check on policing the terror threat. Bringing the terrorist threat to an end will be a marathon not a sprint.

"We know 60 people have already been charged with terror offences so far, there have been some 36 attacks which have a national security implication and an attack on another region of our UK is a strong possibility and here in Northern Ireland it is severe.

"It is a "no brainer" to argue against access to the £200m reserve fund. The money is necessary, reasonable and proportionate to the threat faced," he said.

"It is right that the first duty of Government to protect its citizens and the police should be resourced for this" and he concluded, "SF should cease from their fantasy politics and wake up to the seriousness of the situation we face."

Sinn Fein has been calling for the PSNI to operate more efficiently and become 'leaner' and save money that way, rather than seek continuing cash injections from the Government.

Meanwhile, a new report this week has yet again underlined that dissident republicans pose one of the top four threats to UK security and will continue to target the police and try to attack Britain.

Under the National Security Strategy, the terror threat from groups in Northern Ireland was classified as 'tier one', the highest risk, over the next five years.

It follows 37 attacks this year to date, up from 22 in the whole of 2009, and experts warned those involved are resilient and hell-bent on destabilising the Stormont Executive.

The report said: "There remains a serious and persistent threat from residual terrorist groups linked to Northern Ireland.

"Although these groups have no coherent political agenda and lack popular support, the frequency of incidents has increased.

"The activities of residual terrorist groups has increased in the last 18 months and the security situation is unlikely to improve in the short term.

"There has been an increasing number of disruptions and arrests by the security forces, but the groups are resilient.

"They are determined to try and destabilise the Northern Ireland Executive and continue to target the Police Service of Northern Ireland in particular," it said, noting, "we know that they also aspire to mount attacks in Great Britain".

(BMcC/GK)