Orde warns against republicans derailing policing handover

The actions of dissident republicans must not be allowed to block the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont, Northern Ireland Assembly members were told today.

The actions of dissident republicans must not be allowed to block the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont, Northern Assembly members were told today.

Hugh Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, told an Assembly committee he sensed the powers could be devolved by October instead of the British government's target date of May.

However he urged unionists and nationalists on the Assembly and Executive Review Committee not to let recent gun attacks on off-duty police officers by hardline republican groups block the creation of a devolved ministry in charge of the courts and policing.

"Dissident republicans are determined to attack and shoot my officers when off duty - a major issue for policing. Does any of that stop you doing it?" the Chief Constable said.

"No. I don't think it does.

"In terms of the dissident republican threat in a way what they are trying to achieve is prevent things happening that normal ordinary people, the overwhelming majority in Northern Ireland want to happen.

"My commitment is to stop these criminal lunatics before they actually succeed in killing someone and that is what we are absolutely determined to do with our colleagues in MI5."

During November, the Real IRA wounded two off-duty police officers in separate gun attacks in Derry and in Dungannon.

Democratic Unionist Assembly member Ian McCrea told Orde that both attacks made his constituents even more opposed to the transfer of policing and justice powers at this time.

However he also cited the existence of the Provisional IRA's Army Council as another reason for opposing the devolution of policing and justice.

Mr McCrea's party colleague, Nelson McCausland also asked the Chief Constable if suspicion that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of Paul Quinn and the failure of some Sinn Féin members to take their seats on local policing boards militated against the transfer of powers by May.

Orde told the North Belfast MLA: "I think anything that makes Northern Ireland look different makes it more difficult."

However, the Chief Constable told the DUP Assembly member there would also be questions for politicians in the North come autumn if they had not assumed responsibility for policing and the courts by then.

"In my personal judgment, I am not sure I see it in May but I think people will start asking questions if it hasn't happened by autumn," he said.

"People see devolution as the next important step in terms of Stormont taking control of its own destiny.

"But equally I full understand the point made by Ian (McCrea of the DUP) and some people that they would be quite happy for the status quo to remain."

The Chief Constable stressed the need to ensure his operational responsibility was not eroded in new devolved policing and justice arrangement.

He also told MLAs they would also have to clearly define the relationship between him, the Northern Ireland Policing Board and a new Assembly justice and policing committee to avoid duplication.