Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure Deputy Fitzpatrick and the other members that a clear objective of the Government, the Garda Síochána and the PSNI is to have the very close, positive and constructive relationship between the respective police services continue after Brexit, irrespective of the form the latter takes. The Garda Commissioner and Chief Constable of the PSNI, who share responsibility for co-operation among the police services on the island, have repeatedly emphasised the importance of this relationship. There are a number of formal structures involved, including the joint agency task force. It is important that the cross-Border relationship between our respective security services continue. I am confident that it will do so through the sharing of information. With regard to daily contact, which amounted to almost 70,000 items of information shared last year, it is also important that this continues.

I want to inform the committee of an issue that might not be widely known about. It concerns one of the changes that may well be necessary in respect of eligibility for membership of An Garda Síochána. Currently, the Garda Síochána regulations provide that UK nationals are eligible to become members of An Garda Síochána or Garda reservists but this is on the basis of the UK being an EU member state. It is important that we continue to ensure that UK nationals continue to be eligible for membership of the Garda in the event of Brexit proceeding. That will involve an amendment to current regulations that will specifically include nationals of the United Kingdom. It is important that this be made at an early stage. It is one of the many changes we intend to make to facilitate persons from the United Kingdom who wish to join An Garda Síochána.