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DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Now the security operation around the G8 is set to be one of the biggest the UK has ever witnessed. More than 8000 officers from across the United Kingdom are being deployed to protect the Summit venue in County Fermanagh and other key sites of course in Northern Ireland. Well I’m joined from Belfast by the Justice Minister, David Ford, who has overall responsibility for policing in Northern Ireland, a very good morning to you Mr Ford. First of all, bring us the latest on any protests, are you hearing of any planned and what size and nature they may be?

DAVID FORD: Well we are not expecting anything to happen today. What happened yesterday was we had a small protest march in Belfast organised by the Congress of Trade Unions and a demonstration by the youth campaign, World Hunger, in the Botanic Gardens, both of which passed off completely peacefully, there was good policing which became boring policing because everything went off so smoothly.

DM: Well that’s what we want to hear. Do you feel here that Northern Ireland is very much under the spotlight, given of course its past, and it is a real test of the Peace Process here?

DF: Well the very fact that we are able to host the G8 is a very obvious indication of how much progress we’ve made in Northern Ireland, a few years ago it wouldn’t have been considered and we do have to face the fact that this occurs at a time when there is a severe threat from a small number of terrorists who are intent on carrying on the war as they see it. What is absolutely clear however is the vast majority of people reject them and we have very positive engagement between the police and the other justice agencies with the vast majority of the population and things are going extremely smoothly as we look towards the G8.

DM: Okay, but what about the venue itself? You mentioned there some of the lawful, the peaceful protests that took place yesterday, you must have in your mind, you must have clear lines there that if they are crossed you would have to intervene or get the security forces to intervene.

DF: Well be careful when you say the security forces because what we are talking about is a policing operation, we do not have military support, the military provide support solely on issues like bomb disposal as it would in any other part of the UK or indeed in Afghanistan. What we have is an operation showing good policing led by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in co-operation with every other police service in the United Kingdom supplying officers on mutual aid. We will have officers around the venue, outside Enniskillen, for the next couple of days and if there is any attempt at disorder or to breach defence lines, I have every confidence that the good policing operation which the PSNI carries out 365 days of the year will continue for the next two days as well.

DM: But they are the front line aren’t they, the police, we know there are other officers there, we know that President Obama has brought some of his Secret Services with him?

DF: Well we know that any time the American President travels he takes Secret Servicemen with him but they’re concerned immediately with looking after the President. The key issue is the security operation, it’s being led by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, supported by mutual aid officers across the UK and whatever small numbers of officers are in with the various world leaders are solely there looking after their man, so to speak, it’s not a matter that they have any key role within Northern Ireland generally.

DM: And what about the cost of it all? Of course budgets are stretched everywhere, of course in Northern Ireland as well, who is shouldering the bill for this one?

DF: Well the key issue is that this is a conference organised by the Prime Minister and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the bill is to be picked up by the Treasury, there are certain small elements of it which will fall to policing as indeed there will be the potential for small cost to fall to the court service if we had many people arrested or the prison service if we are required to put people in custody but the key issue is that this is a UK event for which the Treasury is primarily responsible.

DM: And it is a difficult question for you to answer, I know, but what can you tell us about any threat or threats you’ve detected from Republican dissidents?

DF: Well you’d not expect me to go into any level of detail on that but what is clear is that overall there is a severe threat from the small fringe Republican groups which have not accepted the Peace Process yet. That threat exists all the time and it is being countered by exceptionally good policing, the policing which runs and the work done by the leadership within Crime Operations branch through to what is being done by every Neighbourhood Constable to engage with the local communities and to build the confidence of policing which draws support away from those who wish to carry on terror. That is a fact of life for us but it is not something which is seen as a particular threat to this conference but that’s because of good policing, led locally and supported nationally.

DM: And do you think the overall message that will go out after this as the eyes of the world are on Northern Ireland is that a sustainable peace has been achieved? Of course there are occasional setbacks but we are effectively there?

DF: I think we have a sustainable peace, that doesn’t mean that we as local politicians should be taking our eye off the ball, we do need to continue to work to make sure that we make the best of the Peace Process, that we continue to progress towards a more normal society and there is a lot to be done to build a genuinely integrated and united community but that’s the responsibility of local politicians here and it is the responsibility that as the leader of the Alliance Party I am committed to carrying through. We need to ensure that that carries through fully but we also need to see that we play our part in this particular weekend and see what economic benefits can come from that because we do have the opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland and County Fermanagh in particular, what a beautiful place it is and the opportunities for tourism and indeed, on a wider scale, for inward investment in the economy generally.

DM: Okay Mr Ford, good to talk to you, best of luck. David Ford there, Northern Ireland Justice Minister.