Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that on the occasions when I meet with the Minister for Justice in the North, Mr. David Ford, we have addressed that as one of the important issues - dealing with subversive, organised and cross-Border crime. There is an overlap between them in a number of areas. There is a real determination to ensure everything necessary can be done and is done. We have had joint meetings with both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Garda Commissioner and the various officials. This is a regular feature of the co-operation that is ongoing. There is a shared determination, North and South, to disrupt, investigate, pursue and prosecute organised criminals and the terrorist gangs that are inextricably linked to them. The strength of that determination to work together could be seen clearly in the attendance last week by the PSNI Chief Constable, the Minister for Justice and the Secretary of State at the funeral of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. We were both there and many other Members of both Houses were present.

The pattern of criminality changes and the gangs change, with people in the gangs interchangeable. There is an ongoing review at both operational level by the PSNI and Garda Síochána on new initiatives that might be taken and ongoing discussions of policy issues continue at official and ministerial level.

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