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2019 Archbishop Of Armagh Dr Richard Paramilitarism Still A

6th, Clarke To Step Down In February Threat In The North Says
November rchbishop of This latter moment in time New IRC Report

Armagh Dr Richard
has now arrived.”
| AClarke will step Archbishop Clarke will
down from the role on carry out his duties until
EXAMINER Archbishop of Armagh has the Church of Ireland House
February 2, 2020 after which
February 2, 2020.
The Church of Ireland
of Bishops will consider the
announced his intention to
selection of a successor.
Reacting to the news this
IRISH retire. evening the Church of
Dr Richard Clarke will
Ireland Archbishop of Dublin
step down from the role on
February 2, 2020, he told an agreement with my family, a Michael Jackson said the
audience in Armagh on few close friends, and myself Archbishop of Armagh and
Saturday. that I would try to work on Anglican Primate of All
The 70-year-old, who is as Primate for five years, Ireland dedicated his life to
originally from Dublin, has assuming of course that ill- the service of God and the
served as archbishop since health or mortality itself did church. Paramilitarism remains a stark reality in Northern
2012. not intervene,” he said. Michael Jackson said Dr Ireland, a report has found.
Archbishop Clarke made “Coming towards the end Richard Clarke’s had done The latest publication by the Independent Reporting
the announcement during of that five-year period, I this in a variety of contexts Commission (IRC) sets out how the ongoing political vacu-
his presidential address to would then review the situa- within Ireland and abroad. um, Brexit uncertainty and an increase in attacks has made
the Armagh Diocesan Synod tion with my family and, if Archbishop Jackson said ending paramilitarism “immeasurably more difficult”.
in the Crozier Hall, at St all seemed to be working out he engaged in a very ‘hands The second report from the IRC on progress towards end-
Mark’s Parish Church, reasonably well and I felt on’ way with church life and ing paramilitary activity in the region comes after a year
Armagh. that I was still ‘up for it’, I community life at the same which saw several murders.
“When I became would continue on for a fur- time and has also served the These include the killing of journalist Lyra McKee by dis-
Archbishop of Armagh at the ther two years, but would wider Anglican Communion sident republicans in Derry in April, as well as the death of
close of 2012, I made a quiet not go on beyond that point. with diligence. C community worker Ian Ogle at the hands of loyalists in east
Belfast in January.
The last 12 months also saw a number of attacks includ-
ing the detonation by dissidents of a bomb at Derry court
house and the planting of an under-car bomb targeting a
police officer which was discovered at a golf club.
The IRC commissioners state that paramilitarism remains
a stark reality in Northern Ireland, and continues to be a
serious obstacle to peace and reconciliation.
The commissioners also reiterated their analysis from
their first report last October that ending paramilitarism
“can only be sustainably brought about by means of a Twin
Track Approach, which combines policing and justice
responses alongside systemically tackling the serious socio-
economic deprivation facing the communities where the
paramilitaries operate”.
In their second report, the commissioners recommend
that tackling paramilitarism be made a new dedicated out-
come in the Program for Government as the best way of
achieving the whole-of-system approach they believe is
needed.
They point to the need for neighborhood policing to be
enhanced and for urgent action to address the delay in cases
coming before the courts.
The commissioners also highlight the need for increased
asset recovery, recommending that an agency focusing sole-
ly on civil recovery of the proceeds of crime be established
in Northern Ireland.
They further believe that the time has come for consider-
ation to be given to a Transition Process for paramilitaries as
a necessary next step.
To that end, the commissioners have called for a major
public debate to begin, aware that their recommendations to
end continuing paramilitary activity will need the support
and confidence of the whole of society.
The four commissioners include John McBurney and
Monica McWilliams, who were nominated by the Northern
Ireland Executive; Tim O’Connor, nominated by the Irish
Government, and Mitchell Reiss, nominated by the UK
Government.
They are tasked with reporting annually to the UK and Irish
Governments and to the Northern Ireland Executive. C