Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

While I am glad the Minister welcomes the proposals, can we make progress in implementing them? For example, the Criminal Assets Bureau has admitted that about 35% of its investigations into money laundering, smuggling and drugs are conducted on both sides of the Border and that its powers are different to those of the Assets Recovery Agency. The ARA can only investigate matters when the PSNI specifically requests it to do so, whereas the CAB has its own powers and responsibilities. We need a common agency with the same powers and an overarching mandate in both jurisdictions. The same applies with regard to intelligence on crime and terrorism matters. Rather than basic co-operation on registers of sex offenders, a common register is needed to cover the entire island.

While we have done some work in terms of co-operation, we have done little to create a single all-Ireland agency in these areas. Can we not, in the context of the Good Friday Agreement, implementation bodies and the North-South Council, begin to harmonise the powers of the agencies to benefit the citizens of both jurisdictions? A single agency should have responsibility in some areas, such as a single sex offenders register or a joint criminal assets bureau. These would be more beneficial in terms of delivering services.

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