GARDAI ARE reportedly compiling lists of dissident IRA sympathisers in preparation for a potential No Deal Brexit and the introduction of a hard border in Ireland.
The move comes amid increased threats from the so-called New IRA with authorities keen to build a clearer intelligence picture of potential dissident groups.
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Mirror, a source explained: “There is a strong move to gather information on people who have relationships with dissident groups.
“The old guard has changed and there may be young recruits now who were not part of these organisations previously.
“These dissidents are led by a hardcore handful of fundamentalists with a crop of new young recruits from both sides of the border.”
The move follows the publication of a report from Irish Senator Mark Daly in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that suggests the introduction of a hard border could plunge Northern Ireland back into violence.
According to the report, it could take as little as six weeks to introduce a hard border in the wake of a No Deal Brexit in a move that could trigger violent scenes across the region.
“This research and report, we have just published, identifies and highlights the responsibility of the United Kingdom government to stand by the backstop that they agreed to,” Daly said.
“This will ensure that the peace process on this island is not jeopardized by a no deal Brexit related hard border.
"The European Union need to ensure there is no return to a hard border in light of the facts outline in the UNESCO chairs report”.
(Image: RollingNews.ie)Northern Ireland Returning to Violence as a Result of a Hard Border due to Brexit or a Rushed Border Poll: Risks for Youth has been put together by UNESCO Chairs Professor Pat Dolan and Professor Mark Brennan, with input from Michael Ortiz, who served as United States diplomat on the issue of Countering Violent Extremism in the US State Department.
The study addresses concerns over “Loss of memory of harm”, referencing the “Agreement Generation” which applies to the generation born just prior to or since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
This age group lacks the first-hand knowledge of the conflict and, in some instances, may have been given romanticized account of the ‘Troubles’.
The report also highlights the problems faced by those living in disadvantaged loyalist and republican areas.
“At the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland most young people were not involved and were peaceful by nature,” Professor Dolan notes.
“The human harm and damage that can be done by a small population of dissident youth from either or both communities can lead massive harm to people up to and including tragic death. So, this is not a simple matter of scale.”
The research also identifies community-level leadership as a key combative tool in fighting violent extremism by providing a space for further interactions between Ireland’s different traditional element.
However, it countered that suggestion with the admission that some community leaders are often involved in the radicalisation of youth.
“Program and policymakers need to establish a basis for cross-society interaction, integrated schooling, and integrated existences (housing, work, and other settings),” Professor Nolan adds.
“It is only through this sort of interaction, communication, and experience sharing that all sides realize common, general needs as well as the fact that they have nothing to fear from the ‘other’ side.”
Michael Ortiz summarised: “Ireland and Northern Ireland have long struggled with terrorism but have made tremendous progress in recent years.
“As leaders across the island grapple with the concept of a United Ireland, it is important to consider the ways, in which future violence could be prevented, including the strengthening of counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts, supporting civil society organizations, and religious and educational institutions, and providing citizens with the tools they need to intervene during the radicalization process”
The full report can be accessed here.
