Northern Ireland

My Lords, I welcome the Government’s efforts to concentrate the minds of the elected representatives in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, it is clear that we are still faced with a deeply divided society. Therefore, I regret that we in this Parliament are to be faced with a very hurried legislative timetable. I also somewhat regret the way in which the noble Lords, Lord Glentoran and Lord Laird, sought to place the whole burden for making progress on the IRA. Have Ministers received evidence that a large, so-called loyalist paramilitary group is beginning to consider demilitarisation and decriminalisation? If, in practice, that should happen, would that not completely transform the political climate?