The appointment of an “interlocutor” to examine whether a formal process of engagement with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland is required to bring about their disbandment risks undermining work done to tackle organised crime, Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. “There is no justification for paramilitary groups and they should have left the stage long ago. She said: “Governments engaging directly with illegal organisations risks providing a veneer of legitimacy to paramilitary groups and criminal gangs, which persist based on a combination of threats, intimidation, and organised crime. “The appointment of an interlocutor risks undermining the good work which is already being done to end paramilitarism and organised crime. “The idea that paramilitary groups can transition into law-abiding entities has long since moved beyond the point of credibility.