Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Smith said, I acknowledge that this is a serious issue. We are talking about a stretch of road that crosses the Border on a number of occasions. It is being used for speed racing, joyriding and activity of that kind which is clearly hugely dangerous. There is a difficulty enforcing the law because the road straddles the two jurisdictions.

It is not the function of the North-South Ministerial Council because law enforcement does not come within its remit. However, it used its good offices to consult the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Road Safety Authority and the National Roads Authority and, on the Northern Ireland side, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Regional Development and the Department of Justice. All the stakeholders consulted were of the opinion that this was essentially an enforcement issue and a matter for the Garda Síochána and the PSNI.

As I said, I will discuss the matter with the Minister for Justice and Equality. As Deputy Smith is aware, I am in regular contact and communication with colleagues in the Northern Ireland Administration, including the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the Minister for Justice, and I will discuss with them the best way to deal with this issue in an co-ordinated way.

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