April 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nNorthern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill said it was a day for \u201cstrong condemnation, not political nonsense\u201d, in the aftermath of the attack believed to be the work of the New IRA.<\/p>\n
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said the security situation in Northern Ireland needed to be \u201cvery high on the agenda\u201d at Westminster.<\/p>\n
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack on Sunday, while Secretary of State Hilary Benn told the House of Commons on Monday that those responsible were a \u201csmall number of people who represent no one but themselves\u201d.<\/p>\n
PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher said it was an \u201cattack on all of us\u201d and called those responsible \u201cmindless thugs\u201d.<\/p>\n
A male delivery driver was hijacked in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast on Saturday, a device placed inside the vehicle, and he was ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station.<\/p>\n
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Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn condemned an attack on a police station in Dunmurry in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon (Westminster\/PA)<\/p>\n
The car exploded outside the station as people were being evacuated.<\/p>\n
The incident is being treated by police as attempted murder.<\/p>\n
The incident came just weeks after an attempted car bomb attack on Lurgan police station.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a joint press conference at Parliament Buildings in Belfast, with deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and chief constable Jon Boutcher, O\u2019Neill said they were sending a clear message of condemnation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are absolutely united in condemnation of what has happened, nobody wants to see this on our streets, nobody wants to see the fear that that community experienced on Saturday evening,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think this is a day for political nonsense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is a day for strong condemnation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a day for us to be united in saying these groups have no place in our society, and it\u2019s a day for us all to say collectively that anybody with any information whatsoever should come forward to the PSNI, because these people need to be dealt with before the courts.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Forensic investigators at the scene outside Dunmurry police station (Niall Carson\/PA)<\/p>\n
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly added: \u201cI think it\u2019s really important that we do stand very strongly together, that we send very clear messages.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a responsibility across all of the political parties, particularly at a leadership level, to be sending a very clear message, a condemnation of this terrorist attack on Saturday night, but indeed, a very clear condemnation right across the piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerrorism is always wrong. It is always without justification, should that have been 10, 20, 40, 50 years ago or on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s send that clear message, let\u2019s send that clear leadership, particularly to our young people coming up, that this is absolutely not for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not our present. It is not wanted, and we need to stand together against that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boutcher said an attack on his police service is an \u201cattack on all of us\u201d.<\/p>\n
Please, please, please reach out to the PSNI before they actually do kill somebody<\/p>\n
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher<\/p>\n
He also appealed for information to help his officers catch those responsible, adding \u201cbefore these people actually harm or kill somebody\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everybody\u2019s responsibility to call out these reckless attacks, and that\u2019s why we stand here today, shoulder to shoulder, in doing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no place for these mindless thugs, these idiots who think it\u2019s acceptable to carry out such stupid attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can promise you, we will use all of our resources to identify them and bring them before the courts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want everybody to remember this, an attack on the PSNI is an attack on everyone, on all of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, I will appeal with anybody with any information about the people responsible to please, please, please contact us before these people actually harm or kill somebody.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease contact us if you know something, even if you think you might know who\u2019s responsible.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, please, please reach out to the PSNI before they actually do kill somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that we keep emphasising that we do need that additional support when it comes to counterterrorism, when it comes to that additional resource that does need to be recognised,\u201d Little-Pengelly said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it is politically inconvenient. It is a reality and we would ask the Prime Minister and the Government to take an objective view to this, to give the resources and support that is required.\u201d<\/p>\n
I am calling on the Government to live up to its responsibilities when it comes to policing and legacy in Northern Ireland. Passing the parcel between London and Belfast has to stop<\/p>\n
Liam Kelly, Police Federation<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill said her party had \u201cprioritised policing\u201d in their draft budget because they \u201cwant to have a good policing service here that\u2019s reflective of the community it serves\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Chief Constable said the Government should be taking a \u201ctaking a whole systems approach\u201d in its Troubles Legacy legislation, with the force\u2019s lack of resource feeding \u201cinto the narrative of these dissident republicans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boutcher said: \u201cWe need support in dealing with legacy, with all the civil cases that we\u2019ve got, so we can deal with them quickly and fairly and properly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause when we can\u2019t do that, we don\u2019t have the resources, it looks as though the PSNI is being obstructive and I can promise you with my history with legacy, we are not.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are trying to resolve cases, but we don\u2019t have the actual resources to do it and I keep trying to have this conversation with Westminster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the Police Federation, which represents rank and file police officers, challenged both Stormont and Westminster to translate words of support into financial support for the PSNI.<\/p>\n
Federation chairman Liam Kelly said the PSNI is about 700 officers short of the 7,000 target outlined by the chief constable, and some 2,200 below the figure required for a population of more than 1.9 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is unsustainable and requires urgent attention by both national Government and Stormont,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo things need to happen. Firstly, we have to have a significant increase in the PSNI budget over a three-year budget period.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecondly, we must see a change of heart at Westminster on legacy. The PSNI is left to pick up the tab for legacy cases running into many millions of pounds when the Government should be bearing the cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur officers are stretched to breaking and it\u2019s a dire situation that can\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am calling on the Government to live up to its responsibilities when it comes to policing and legacy in Northern Ireland. Passing the parcel between London and Belfast has to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the Westminster debate, Eastwood asked whether the PSNI would be \u201cadequately resourced\u201d to deal with terrorism.<\/p>\n
In response, Benn said its funding is determined by Stormont, but added: \u201cWe\u2019ve given a record settlement to the Executive in the spending review last summer and we have implemented the first increase in the additional security funding in over a decade. It will be \u00a3113 million over three years.\u201d<\/p>\n
UUP MP Robin Swann accused Benn of focusing on Barnett consequentials, adding: \u201cWhy does he and this Government believe if it\u2019s terrorists in Northern Ireland attacking Northern Ireland people, it\u2019s only a Northern Ireland problem?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Secretary of State responded: \u201cI would simply say to (Swann) that the lives of everyone in Northern Ireland, be they police officer or ordinary citizen, are beyond price.\u201d<\/p>\n