The 21st Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission, published on 7 May, made clear that dissident activity in the period under review had been at its highest level since they started to report. The continuing high level of violent activity, often with the intention to kill members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland or other security force personnel, is an attempt to destroy the peace process.
The completion of devolution will do more than anything to undermine the dissidents.
I welcome the IMC's comments that both the UDA and UVF are beginning to address the issue of decommissioning. The Government's position is very clear. When the Secretary of State renewed the decommissioning amnesty for the final time in February, he asked the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning for a further report on progress in August. If there has not been substantial progress the decommissioning legislation will be brought to an end.