Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

There is a series of meetings at ministerial level with the Minister, Mr. Ford. As I detailed, at official level there is ongoing contact and strategies are being developed on a continuous basis, not as piecemeal responses to issues that arise. For example, there is ongoing interaction between the probation services, North and South. I attended a meeting of the two services at a conference held some weeks ago that I opened with the Minister, Mr. Ford. We have provided for interaction and shared experiences.

Co-operation goes beyond the island of Ireland. I met the Minister, Mr. Ford, and Scotland's justice Secretary, Mr MacAskill, on Wednesday of last week when we discussed a number of matters of common interest. The Deputy might be interested to know that these included the problem of sectarianism, for example, the difficulties experienced in Scotland, sharing expertise in forensic science, civil asset seizure procedures to combat crime, police reform, measures to reduce offending, prison issues, reform of criminal legal aid, monitoring of sex offenders and vetting procedures for persons to work with children and vulnerable adults. We also discussed the issue of human trafficking in the context of labour issues and prostitution. There is a range of areas in which common policies are developing. The tripartite meetings with the Minister, Mr. Ford, and Scotland's justice Secretary, Mr. MacAskill, are annual affairs, but there is a deepening of relationships and a continuing exchange of experiences in these areas.

I welcome the close co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI and the interaction between the Department of Justice in the North and my Department.

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