To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to outline the criteria for identifying areas eligible for Communities in Transition funding.

Mrs Little-Pengelly (The deputy First Minister)

I thank the Member for her question. Communities in Transition is part of the Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime, and, since 2019, it has delivered over £26 million of support across eight areas where there has been a significant history of activity and coercive control. The CIT areas were identified by independent research commissioned by the tackling paramilitarism programme board and completed in 2017. Researchers identified areas that were at particular risk from ongoing paramilitary activity by analysing a range of data sources, including the media, datasets, academic literature, research reports and stakeholder meetings. Areas were scored against a number of indicators of paramilitary activity, including verified and claimed incidents of paramilitary intimidation and paramilitary assaults and shootings.

Mr Speaker

I think that we are getting into a statement. We have got the question. I ask the deputy First Minister to respond.

Mrs Little-Pengelly

I thank the Member for her supplementary question. Let us be very clear: there is absolutely no place for paramilitarism in 2025; indeed, in my view, there was never any place for paramilitarism or paramilitary activity. Of course, the PSNI takes the lead on the criminal aspects of that and must do everything in its power to ensure that those who continue to be involved in such behaviour are brought to justice. On the community aspects of that, yes, there are many programmes throughout government in many Departments that deal with the very issues that the Member rightly highlights. Of course, all Ministers would want to do more of that, but the Communities in Transition programme particularly looks at those who may be vulnerable to being dragged into that type of behaviour. It is very much a programme that focuses on prevention and community resilience and, in particular, working with young people who are at risk to ensure that they do not end up going down that pathway. That includes mental health programmes, training programmes and different types of community-based programmes, which are all based on that best practice.

Mrs Dillon

I begin by offering my apologies. I understand that I was called for a question last week. It was my understanding that the question had been withdrawn, so apologies. I am not sure where the confusion was, but I was not here due to a family emergency. I want to put on the record the really valuable contribution that the Communities in Transition programme offers in building communities free from paramilitarism and coercive control. Does the deputy First Minister agree that building resilient and empowered communities with true co-design at grassroots level is key to the building blocks in tackling paramilitarism and organised crime in our communities?

Mrs Little-Pengelly

I thank the Member for her question. Absolutely: over the last 20-odd years that I have worked in politics, I have seen a big change when it comes to this type of policy development and, indeed, even project and initiative development. It is now much more towards that collaborative design and co-production approach, and the projects are much the stronger and much the better for that. We know that those who are on the ground are often in the best position to identify the problems and the barriers to success and to find the types of initiatives and interventions that will work best in the areas that they serve and live in. Absolutely, that co-design process should be mainstreamed in all programmes, but it has particularly helped and supported the development of the projects under the CIT.

Mr O'Toole

Nearly six months ago, we gathered here to talk about the race riots in Belfast. Can the deputy First Minister confirm whether her Department has investigated whether any recipients — past or present — of Communities in Transition funding have had any involvement in the ongoing activities around race violence in Belfast and other towns and cities?

Mrs Little-Pengelly

Certainly, if they have been, it has not been drawn to my attention. As the Member knows, the Department has been looking at all of the issues that gave rise to and impacted on the race disorder and violence of last summer. We are absolutely determined that we do not see a repeat of that. That means working in communities to identify what went wrong, what the attitudes were, where they were coming from and how they can be tackled.

Mr Speaker

Question 2 has been withdrawn.