Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister has called for clarity on how an additional £3m allocated to Northern Ireland is to be spent. The budget statement said the money was to extend the Tackling Paramilitarism Programme.
The North Belfast MLA, who is a member of the Policing Board, said: “Twenty five years after the Good Friday Agreement was endorsed by the majority of people in Northern Ireland it is time to put an end to paramilitarism once and for all. We have seen millions of pounds of taxpayer funds going into a wide range of programmes, yet we still have communities under the toxic influence of paramilitaries, whose main focus seems to be criminality.
“I am calling on the Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, to clearly set out what this additional £3m will be spent on and what results he expects.There are interventions that have demonstrated their positive impact and the public needs to be assured that this money will be spent wisely.
“The Secretary of State should also increase the levels of Additional Security Funding to help deal with the terrorist threat while not compromising day to day policing.”
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