To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what information he has been given by Ministers from the Irish Republic concerning the number of bank, post office, wages and comparable robberies carried out in the Irish Republic since the beginning of 1989; which have been deemed attributable to the Provisional Irish Republican Army or other paramilitary groups; and what amounts of moneys were involved in those robberies;(2) whether he has had discussions with Ministers from the Irish Republic on the extent of funding obtained by the Provisional Irish Republican Army or other paramilitary groups from bank, post office, wages and comparable robberies in the Irish Republic.
There have been several exchanges through the Anglo-Irish Conference and secretariat about the funding of terrorist organisations. It would not be appropriate to divulge the details.