Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 September 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion

Mr. Drew Harris:

This is a very serious issue. As yet, like everyone else, I do not know what Brexit we will get and therefore what its ramifications will be. I have always spoken about three elements; organised crime, the threat of dissident republican groups, and the impact on local communities. We have drawn up our own planning for this. We are working closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Next week we will have our annual joint agency task force meeting, at which we set out the agenda for dealing with organised crime, including organised crime against Revenue, for the year ahead. We have also focused on rural crime, including plant theft etc., over the past year. We have had many successes around drugs and have assisted other agencies in respect of Revenue fraud and evasion and the theft of plant.

In respect of the threat from dissident groups, regrettably we have already seen six national security attacks, as they are termed, in Northern Ireland this year. We have had to cope with dealing with that demand by supporting our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and conducting our own investigative effort against these groups. There has already been an uptick in demand there. That has placed a strain on the organisation, but we are prepared for that and are working hard to thwart those threats.

Last, we have increased numbers in the Border area. We want to make further investments in the armed support unit, particularly in Cavan. That is under way. Moreover, through the new operating model we will start to enhance our community policing in the Border area further. We are in an advanced state of planning and preparation for October and what it will mean in the short and medium term for us, for policing in the whole of the island of Ireland, and for our work with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

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