Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I regularly meet my Northern Ireland counterpart, the Minister of Justice, Mr. David Ford, and we have developed a close working relationship. We have a shared desire to enhance and further develop North-South co-operation across the range of our respective areas of responsibility.

Structured co-operation between our Departments and the related criminal justice agencies North and South is provided for under the intergovernmental agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters. I meet regularly the Minister of Justice, Mr. David Ford, MLA, under the auspices of the agreement to discuss matters of mutual interest and consider strategies for more effective co-operation on criminal justice matters between the jurisdictions.

In addition to these regular ministerial meetings, project groups comprising relevant officials and practitioners from the two jurisdictions have been established to take forward co-operation in the fields of youth justice, victims of crime, management of sex offenders, public protection, forensic science and social diversity. These groups involve high level representation from relevant agencies, North and South, and their role is to promote and co-ordinate practical operational co-operation, the exchange of best practice and sharing of policy initiatives and, where appropriate, the exchange of personnel. In the past year some of the practical initiatives to emerge from the project groups included a memorandum of understanding in respect of forensic science services and recommendations on dealing with sex offenders who had crossed the Border.

An annual cross-Border organised crime conference is organised by the two justice Departments and the law enforcement agencies, North and South. It focuses on enhancing practical co-operation in combating serious cross-Border criminality and has acted as a useful catalyst in driving ongoing efforts to tackle serious crimes such as tiger kidnapping and fuel laundering.

The two police forces operate a joint cross-Border policing strategy that aims to improve public safety throughout Ireland by disrupting criminal activity in both jurisdictions and enhancing the policing capability of both police services. The joint strategy covers a range of policing areas, including cross-Border investigations and operations, intelligence sharing and security, communications and information technology, training and emergency planning. It indicates the scope of this co-operation and the determination of both police forces to use the tools available to ensure those who seek to exploit the Border for criminal ends will not succeed.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

This close co-operation reflects the Government's strong continuing commitment to cross-Border working which can only be to the benefit of all the people of the island.

I met the Minister, Mr. Ford, and Scotland's Secretary for Justice, Mr. Kenny MacAskill, last week when we discussed a number of matters of common interest. These included sectarianism, sharing expertise in forensic science, civil asset seizure procedures to combat crime, police reform, measures to reduce offending, prisons issues, reform of criminal legal aid, monitoring of sex offenders and vetting procedures for persons to work with children and vulnerable adults. These are all matters of common interest and it enhances our responses, North and South, to know how these matters are being dealt with by the Scottish authorities.

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