22 hours Ago By David Thompson
Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. The Ulster Unionist justice spokesperson says former paramilitaries were involved in crimes such as coercive control, sexual abuse and rape - and it is therefore “essential” that a central record is kept. The Communities in Transition scheme was developed as a result of the DUP and Sinn Fein Fresh Start agreement in 2015, which resulted in a brief period of two-party government.
Eight areas were selected for “targeted support” after they were “identified as those under most influence and coercive control by paramilitary structures and organisations”. Advertisement Advertisement The absence of a register was revealed by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly in a response to a written question submitted by Mr Beattie. The Upper Bann MLA asked if any funding was going to community groups with links to proscribed organisations or on people who have been convicted of terrorist-related offences.
The first ministers said rules require that “projects and individuals accept no authority, direction or control over activities associated with delivery of the project”. However, they said that as past convictions do not rule out involvement in CIT projects – provided rules are followed – and therefore “no central record of such convictions is held”. Doug Beattie told the News Letter: “The written question was simple, but the answer should raise concerns for us all.
Advertisement Advertisement “In outline, I asked The Executive Office if any monies were going towards individuals who had a past terrorist conviction, the answer was that ‘Past convictions do not rule out involvement in CIT (Community in Transition) projects provided the behaviours framework is observed, thus no central record of such convictions is held.’ “No central record of such convictions is held, is this really a sustainable position? The very fact that former terrorists and paramilitaries were involved in crimes such as coercive control, sexual abuse, and in the case of Mairia Cahill, rape, surely such a record of past convictions is not just advisory but it is essential. “Would such a central record of offenders be held if we were talking about violence against women and girls, would we hold a central register of those convicted of domestic abuse or crimes against children or the elderly? “If the answer to these questions is yes, then why not for those involved and convicted of terrorist offences? And if the answer is no, then how do people have trust in initiatives around violence against women and girls? Advertisement Advertisement “Nobody is saying if you have had a past, you cannot have a future but funding those whose insidious activities in the past that have affected our society into the future must be transparent.
“Not keeping a central record of those with a terrorist conviction is a failure to do so.” The eight areas agreed to be the focus for targeted support to transition away from paramilitary activity through the CIT scheme are: North Down (Kilcooley & Rathgill); West Belfast (Lower Falls, Twinbrook, Poleglass, Upper Springfield, Turf Lodge and Ballymurphy); East Belfast (The Mount and Ballymacarrett); Shankill; Londonderry (Brandywell and Creggan); Carrickfergus and Larne (Antiville and Kilwaughter in Larne, Northland and Castlemara in Carrickfergus); North Belfast (New Lodge and Ardoyne) and Lurgan (Drumgask and Kilwilkie). The Upper Bann MLA had asked the first ministers “to detail any funding used to assist communities to transition away from paramilitary activity and control that is provided to (i) groups with links to proscribed organisations; and (ii) people who have been convicted of terrorist-related offences”.
Advertisement Advertisement A response from Ms O’Neill and Mrs Little-Pengelly said: “As part of the Executive’s Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime the Communities in Transition (CIT) project operates to increase community resilience and reduce vulnerability to exploitation by paramilitaries. A condition of contract for the award of all CIT contracts is that individuals working on CIT funded projects are required to sign a behaviours framework confirming that they are not engaged in paramilitary activity and will uphold the rule of law. The framework also requires that projects and individuals accept no authority, direction or control over activities associated with delivery of the project which have not been agreed with TEO.
“Past convictions do not rule out involvement in CIT projects provided the behaviours framework is observed, thus no central record of such convictions is held”..
