To ask the Minister of Justice for an update on the Ending the Harm campaign.

AQO 2662 22-27 - ANSWER

‘Ending the Harm’ is a series of public awareness campaigns that highlight the devastating impact of organised crime and paramilitary activity on victims, their families, communities and wider society. The campaign is delivered by the cross-Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, for which I am lead Minister.

The current poster campaign specifically highlights a number of ways that paramilitary groups control, coerce and harm communities.

In December last year independent tracking research was undertaken which showed that this campaign is actively changing perceptions about the harms perpetrated by paramilitary gangs in Northern Ireland. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said that they fully supported what the campaign was saying and trying to do.

Last month a new iteration of the posters was launched which, for the first time, now explicitly references ‘Criminal Gangs’ as well as ‘Paramilitaries’, acknowledging the diverse perspectives on how such organisations are described.

It continues to exceed expectations online, with the latest data showing campaign engagement is nearly five times higher than the industry average and delivering exceptional value for money. People are not only seeing the message, they’re clicking and watching the videos, showing that the campaign message continues to connect with the public.

The posters are being displayed across a wide range of outdoor advertising sites as well as featuring online and on social media.