Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Good Friday Agreement was a key milestone in the process of seeking an agreed and durable political solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. It was instrumental in securing an end to the decades of bloody violence that had visited untold grief on so many families North and South, and in Britain. The Good Friday Agreement was a comprehensive settlement addressing not only the constitutional and political questions concerning the governance of Northern Ireland but also covering security, policing, human rights and equality issues essential to underpinning the political settlement.

In the limited time available to me, I will focus on the strong progress that has been made in policing and criminal justice co-operation, particularly in addressing the threat on this island from terrorists and the organised crime gangs to which they are inextricably linked, put simply, criminal terrorists. There is positive and dynamic North-South co-operation at policy and operational levels in combating crime. The challenges that crime presents on this island are shared ones and joint working will continue to enhance our efforts to improve community safety for all.

Arising from the Good Friday Agreement and the recommendations of the Patten Commission, a new dispensation in policing in Northern Ireland came about with the establishment of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2001 and new policing accountability structures. The two Governments signed an agreement on police co-operation in 2002 to provide a framework for the implementation of certain of the Patten recommendations on enhanced police co-operation aimed at improving the level of cross-community confidence in policing in Northern Ireland. This agreement provides, among other things, for personnel exchanges between the two police services, which have been operating successfully across a range of police ranks and work, including training, human resources, general operational policing and the specialist areas of policing. As part of the enhanced policing relationship, the two police services are operating a joint cross-Border policing strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to improve public safety throughout Ireland, disrupt criminal activity and enhance the policing capability of both police services on the island of Ireland. The Garda Commissioner is very committed to building on this joint policing strategy and to maintaining and augmenting cross-Border co-operation across all aspects of policing. He has my full support in doing that.

I meet and maintain regular contact, formally and informally, with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford, MLA. As well as our formal meetings, we frequently discuss matters of interest by telephone as they arise. We, and the officials in our Departments, have developed a close working relationship which is of great benefit in addressing matters of mutual concern and enhancing effective criminal justice co­operation. Building on the Good Friday Agreement, the two Governments signed an agreement on North-South co-operation in criminal justice matters in 2005, which was renewed in 2010 following the devolution of policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Executive. Under the framework of this agreement, I meet regularly with the Minister, Mr. Ford, to review and develop the initiatives and plans in place to achieve more effective co-operation across the criminal justice spectrum. There are a number of project groups which involve the criminal justice agencies, North and South, and they are bringing forward initiatives to enhance joint working. These project groups address issues related to probation, youth justice, forensic science, sex offenders, victims and social diversity. The aim is to improve the knowledge, capacity and responses of the criminal justice systems in facing similar and shared challenges.

The brutal killing of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe underlines starkly the need for co-operation on all cross-Border aspects of crime. I pay tribute to the co­operation which the Garda Síochána has received from the PSNI in its ongoing investigation into this tragic killing. Since 1998, very significant progress has been made in embedding peaceful and democratic politics in Northern Ireland and in ensuring communities all over this island can aspire to develop and progress. The will of the overwhelming majority of the people of this island has very clearly held sway in that respect. That said, it is sadly the case that there remains a small number of unrepresentative groups who cannot or will not leave the past behind and whose only aspiration is to sow chaos and despair. These paramilitary groups have, unfortunately, become known in some quarters as dissidents. They could not be further from deserving the historical respectability that this label might confer on them. Let us be clear about it; these people are no more or less than criminal terrorists. They have no respect for life or liberty, they only know the law of the gun and the bomb, and they use them both to dishonour democracy. They will happily crawl into bed with any criminal gang of drug dealers or smugglers to fund their comfortable lifestyles and their acts of thuggery and futile violence. Despite the relatively small numbers involved, the threat these criminal terrorists pose, North and South, is real and persistent. The fight against the terrorist threat has always been and remains an absolute priority for the Government and the Garda Síochána. Garda authorities continue to disrupt, pursue and arrest those involved and to make them amenable to the courts for their crimes and terrorist activities. Gardaí co-operate seamlessly with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in bearing down on these criminal terrorists. The Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI, who have responsibility for operational policing co-operation, have emphasised repeatedly that this close and high quality co-operation has been instrumental in disrupting these groups, preventing attacks, combating criminality and saving lives.

I mentioned already that the Garda is committed to building on and improving the current level of cross-Border co-operation. Likewise on the political front, I will continue to work with the Minister, Mr. Ford, and the UK Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, to ensure an effective response to ensure an effective response to terrorism and cross-Border criminality.

The House will be aware that I have previously expressed profound concern at the possible withdrawal of the UK from a number of areas of EU police and judicial co-operation from the end of 2014. I have made it clear on a number of occasions that such a move would represent a retrograde step in the area of security co-operation. A large number of areas of police and judicial co-operation could be negatively impacted by such a move. Some of the areas of co-operation are critical to the effective countering of terrorism and cross-border criminality. The European arrest warrant, EAW, is the most obvious example. The EAW procedures have replaced in their entirety the previous arrangements with the UK for extradition of fugitives from justice. If the UK withdraws from the EAW, there will be, as things stand, no legal basis for extradition between our jurisdictions. This would obviously be a most undesirable situation. Other areas of co-operation, such as mutual legal assistance, would also be adversely affected by any withdrawal by the UK from EU police and judicial co-operation measures. It is entirely inconceivable that such areas of co-operation should cease. Who is likely to benefit most from such a situation? It is clear that only terrorists and criminals will profit from the legal gap which would prevent the Garda and the courts from facilitating the effective investigation of offences or the bringing of people to justice in the appropriate jurisdiction. While I have no desire to intervene in a political debate in another jurisdiction, the House will appreciate that I would be failing in my duty if I did not continue to make these points very strongly in meetings with my UK counterparts.

I meet and maintain regular contact with my Northern Ireland counterparts, David Ford and Theresa Villiers, and I can state that we are firmly of one mind with regard to the terrorist threat. We share a strong determination that all appropriate measures within the law will be taken in order to bear down on these criminal terrorists. Fifteen years on from the Good Friday Agreement, our message to these groups must be as loud and as clear as ever: "We, who chose peace, democracy and a decent future for the people of this island, haven't gone away, you know", and we will not go away. Terrorism will not win out in the face of our strong resolve to stand by those who are victims of terror. All the communities on this island, no matter what their background, their beliefs or their aspirations, share a desire to be left to get on with their lives in peace, free from the threat of terrorism. That is the shared aim of all right-thinking people in Ireland, and those groups who do not like that fact should get off the stage. They belong to the past and they should leave the future to the rest of us.

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