Estimated annual operational costs of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland 2002

According to a UK parliamentary report in 2002, it was estimated that the running costs of paramilitary organizations based in Northern Ireland were as high as 1.5 million British pounds per year. It is important to note that the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 largely brought the Troubles to an end; however, paramilitaries remain active until this day. In 2002, costs would have included the acquisition of weapons, communications equipment, personnel costs (training, housing, wages), and welfare costs relating to prisoners and their families. Due to the de-escalation of violence observed in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, paramilitary activities were much lower relative to previous decades, while their fundraising capacities were estimated to be much higher.