Conclusion

This concluding chapter comments on the changing political scene in Northern Ireland and reflects on the effect that these changes will have on the roles and functions of the various Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groups. As the number of PPAs diminishes, and the phenomenon perhaps ceases altogether, the chapter considers what effect this will have on the behavior of young people who, for so many years, have been victims of this violence. Furthermore, the chapter argues that a strong and legitimate government that provides effective legal policing and protection is needed to prevent and combat organized crime. The dramatic shifts in the political landscape in Northern Ireland have laid the foundations for this, but it may be that the demand for certain goods and services such as cheap fuel are so strong that some forms of organized criminal activity are now entrenched.

Criminology · Epistemology · Government (linguistics) · Phenomenon · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Irish and British Studies · Law · Philosophy