Threat from dissidents has not disappeared, warns PSNI chief

PEACE has brought economic prosperity to the North, but the threat from dissidents hasn’t gone away.

The warning was made by PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde, who said that the threat from dissidents was actually at a five-year high.

“There are days you can’t get a hotel room in Belfast and unemployment is at an all-time low,” he said.

The senior policeman said the North is moving to the end game of the Troubles, but warned that because of the dissidents’ threat there was certainly no room for complacency.

He also added that the whole island wasn’t immune from international terrorism and co-operation between the PSNI and gardaí couldn’t be better.

The PSNI is a more inclusive force, with 28% Catholics. Meetings with community leaders, he said, were even taking place in Crossmaglen in the fight against crime.

One meeting, he pointed out, went ahead despite a bomb warning, such was the resolve of all involved.

Mr Orde said there was increasing community pressure on dissident groups on both sides “to go away”.

“The future of Ireland is incredibly bright, incredibly positive,” he added.

Fergal Keane was not able to attend the conference as the BBC had sent him to Burma to cover mass protests there. However, he sent a video recording of his thoughts on the way the North was moving away from violence.

The broadcaster said he didn’t think a South African-type Truth and Reconciliation Commission would work here.

“The critical thing is to teach our children the facts about what happened and not the mythology.

“We owe more to the children of these islands to allow partisan views of the past to be propagated in the future,” Mr Keane said.