PSNI facing ‘worst financial picture ever’ as officers praised after bomb attacks

Justice Minister Naomi Long addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland annual conference

Police officers who responded to recent dissident bomb attacks in Lurgan and Dunmurry have been praised for their “visible competence and bravery” as Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister warned the PSNI is now facing the bleakest financial crisis she has ever seen.

Addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland annual conference, Naomi Long delivered a stark assessment of the pressures facing policing while paying tribute to officers dealing with what she described as continuing live terrorist threats against police and their families.

Her remarks came in the aftermath of recent attacks on PSNI stations in Lurgan and Dunmurry — incidents she said should have been consigned to history as Northern Ireland approaches the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“The courage shown by officers in responding calmly and professionally in these circumstances deserves recognition and respect,” the Minister said.

She added: “Public confidence is strengthened not by the absence of threat, but by the visible competence and bravery of those responding to it.”

Minister warns PSNI under severe financial strain

While much of the speech focused on support for officers following the attacks, the Justice Minister also issued a blunt warning over the state of policing finances in Northern Ireland.

“In this coming year alone, we are projecting resource stabilisation pressures in excess of £100million,” she said.

“To be blunt, I have never known the financial picture to be as bad as it is right now.”

Long said years of underfunding had left the wider justice system under severe pressure, with policing continuing to absorb growing operational demands amid tight budgets and workforce shortages.

She warned that the absence of an agreed Executive budget was further deepening uncertainty, with the Department of Justice currently operating under contingency planning arrangements which she said were even more restrictive than the draft budget proposals.

The Minister argued that the PSNI continues to face pressures unlike any other police force in the UK because of the financial burden attached to legacy investigations linked to Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

According to the PSNI, legacy litigation alone is estimated to cost around £100 million.

“That is funding that could be redirected elsewhere to ease some of the significant pressures being felt day in and day out from right across the justice system,” she said.

Long insisted the UK Government — not Stormont — should bear the cost of dealing with legacy-related investigations.

New legal protections planned for officers

The Justice Minister also used the conference to reaffirm her support for stronger legal protections for police officers and other frontline workers assaulted while carrying out public duties.

She confirmed the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill, introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly in March, would create a new offence of assaulting someone performing a public duty or delivering a public service.

The legislation proposes tougher maximum penalties and would formally recognise attacks on serving officers as an aggravating factor during sentencing.

Long said violence against officers should never be viewed as “part of the job”.

“I believe that violence directed at police officers is not only an attack on the individual — it is an attack on the rule of law and on the safety of the wider community,” she said.

“As PSNI officers you deserve respect, protection and the full backing of the justice system.”

The Bill is currently under scrutiny by the Assembly’s Justice Committee and the Minister said she remains confident it will complete its legislative passage before the end of the current Assembly mandate.

Officer numbers begin recovering from historic low

Despite the financial pressures, Long pointed to early signs of recovery in police recruitment and staffing levels.

Officer numbers currently stand at 6,315 — up from a historic low of 6,190 towards the end of 2025.

The Minister said additional funding secured through recent monitoring rounds had helped stabilise recruitment, including £69 million in additional PSNI funding during 2023-24 and a further £73 million in 2024-25.

Additional allocations were also made to support summer disorder policing costs, workforce recovery and compensation linked to the PSNI data breach.

“My strategic priority is to support the recovery and stabilisation of the workforce,” Long said.

She also acknowledged the emotional and psychological toll policing continues to have on officers and their families, particularly against the backdrop of terrorism threats, organised crime and growing public scrutiny.

25 years after PSNI formed, threats remain

A major theme throughout the address was the approaching 25th anniversary of the PSNI, which replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 2001 as part of the policing reforms that followed the Good Friday Agreement.

Long said officers had played a “central role” in supporting peace and public confidence during a period of profound social and political change across Northern Ireland.

However, she acknowledged policing here remains uniquely difficult because of legacy issues, continuing security threats and intense public scrutiny.

“Those who engage in this futile violence have nothing to offer our community but destruction and misery,” she said in reference to recent dissident activity.

“Their cowardice and reckless disregard for the people who live in those communities stands in stark contrast to your courage and your willingness to run towards danger to protect vulnerable people.”

The Minister also referenced the recent Katie Simpson Review, the Langdale Review and Police Ombudsman investigations into abuse of position for sexual purposes, acknowledging the serious reputational challenges facing the PSNI.

She said reforms arising from those cases must be fully embedded across policing and the wider justice system to rebuild public confidence and better protect vulnerable people in the future.

Long concluded by saying she remains confident the PSNI can continue adapting to future challenges despite the severe financial and operational pressures currently facing the service.

“We do not know what the next 25 years will look like,” she said.

“However, as I stand here today, I have full confidence that the PSNI has the professionalism, the resilience and the commitment to constant improvement to rise to that challenge and continue to keep people safe.”