THE POLICE SERVICE of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will be provided with an extra £245 million (€292m) to combat the terror threat in the country.

The UK government will provide £200m of the funding with the Northern Ireland Executive to make an extra £45m available for security, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

The provision of extra funding, that will be spread over four years, follows a request from Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford and PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott.

The cited the increased threat from dissident republican activity according to the paper.

Earlier this year two bombs were discovered on the Antrim Road in Belfast while there have also been a string of attacks on police stations.

The BBC report that the funding is part of the devolution of power agreement where, in “exceptional circumstances”, money can be accessed from the UK treasury reserve.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson said the government is doing this despite “unprecedented pressures on the public finances” in the UK.

Northern Ireland Finance Minister Sammy Wilson welcomed the move, according to the Irish Times:

Today’s news is good news for the PSNI and good news for Northern Ireland.

This will provide the PSNI with the opportunity to plan effective strategies on a long-term basis against the security threat and will also help to protect frontline policing.