Speech by Party and Lagan Valley Secretary Karen Boal seconding the motion on policing, justice and security:

Party Officers, Delegates, friends,
 
In 2006 both Nigel Dodds and Peter Robinson when asked about the possibility of devolving policing and justice spoke in terms of “political lifetimes” before this could possibility take place.  Yet a mere 3 years later and the DUP are poised to agree to the devolution of these powers.  They claim the deal will be a great victory, we are told they have secured a £1billion from the British Government but what they don’t tell us are the details of what this £1billion has bought. 

If and when completed the devolution of policing and justice will have brought Republicans one step closer to their over-riding objective, what Gerry Kelly stated was a “free, independent and united Ireland”. Republicans have not tried to hide the fact that they see the devolution of policing and justice as the next major step in their strategy, indeed they have been quite willing to set out their position on it, stating in their 2005 manifesto that their “strategy is for a new all Ireland policing and Judicial system” and that this can only be achieved with devolution of these powers.  Yet Mr. Robinson and his DUP colleagues see pound signs and suddenly political lifetimes fade away, principle is put to one side and the DUP spin doctors are once again employed to dress it up as a great Unionist Victory.  Conference today with this motion we will send a clear message to Mr. Robinson & Co. Perhaps you have put your principles aside but Traditional Unionists have not.  We can see past the money, we recognise that the issue is one of much greater significance and the detrimental effects which this deal will have on Unionism will far out way the remuneration. 

One of the assurances we have received is that the first person to hold the position of Justice Minister will not come from either the DUP or Sinn Fein. That is all very well but what happens if the UUP and SDLP get their way and D’Hondt is eventually used as the method of appointment?  That would leave us back with the very real possibility that at some indeterminable point in the future a convicted IRA terrorist could hold this position and be Minister over the Department of Justice.  However does anyone actually believe that as Joint First Minister, Martin McGuiness, a man who has in the past bragged and boasted of his time on the run, who has unashamedly declared his role during the troubles as commander of the IRA an organisation which was responsible of the murder of members of not only the security forces but also judiciary will not have some input into the Department? Are he and his Sinn Fein colleagues not going to be present at meetings of the Executive where such issues are discussed?  Furthermore we have heard this week that the Irish Foreign Minister, Micheal Martin whilst speaking in the Seanad chamber has urged the DUP to accept the devolution of Policing and Justice.  Hardly surprising given the powers which will come within the ambit of the North South institutions where Unionist are - and will always be - in a minority. 
 
However Mr. Robinson tells us not to worry, before any deal will be completed there must be sufficient Unionist confidence.  How can Unionists possibly have confidence in what is nothing more than another DUP climb down?  We are currently in a situation whereby we have continued and indeed even increased Republican terror on our streets, as has already been spoken about there have been brutal murders of soldiers and policemen.  Just this week the 22nd report of the Independent Monitoring Commission stated that “the overall level of dissident activity was markedly higher than we have seen…. The seriousness, range and tempo of their activities all changed for the worse in these six months.”  It goes on to explain how it is believed that Provisional IRA members are now assisting these so-called dissidents with their murderous campaign, and all this at a time when more and more of the country’s security apparatus is being dismantled and ex-security personnel are having their Personal Protection Weapons removed.
 
In conclusion Conference, we as Traditional Unionists must hold firm in our opposition to the devolution of policing and justice, there should be more robust action to be taken to face down the continuous threat from Republican terrorists and rather than the security apparatus being dismantled bit by bit, it should be retained and where necessary strengthened by the use special forces and finally the shameful and disgraceful decision to remove personal protection weapons from ex-security personnel should be  reversed with immediate effect.