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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 38 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, Departments, while tasked with different responsibilities and duties, co-operate and contact one another on a daily basis regarding areas of common interest and duty. With regard to the Departments of Justice and Equality and Defence the following are the main areas of co-operation and policy overlap. As the Deputy may be aware, where necessary, the Garda Síochána are assisted in carrying out certain specific duties by members of the Defence Forces in fulfilment of the role assigned to the Defence Forces to provide aid to the civil power. Outside of these areas of aid to the civil power, the distinction between the policing function of the Garda Síochána and the military function of the Defence Forces is an important one and I have no proposals for deployments along the lines referred to by the Deputy. Also, under arrangements agreed between An Garda Síochána and the Irish Air Corps, aircraft attached to the Garda Air Support Unit are flown by Air Corps pilots.

One of the main areas of co-operation between the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Defence is the maximum security prison in Portlaoise. The Army memorandum of understanding for its role is to aid the civil power, An Garda Síochána and the Prison Service to prevent unauthorised movement into or out of the prison compound.

Under the auspices of the Office of Government Procurement, a defence and security category council was established in 2013. The category council is charged with determining the sourcing strategy for the defence and security category and must determine the best way forward to meet the needs of customer Departments. The nominated lead for the defence and security category council is the Department of Defence and the Irish Prison Service is a participant on the council.

As part of the normal engagement between Departments, officials in the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Defence are co-operating in regard to the proposal to establish a new Court of Appeal in the context where the establishment of the new court will see the abolition of the Courts-Martial Appeal Court.

In the context of drugs surveillance and interdictions at sea, there are common areas of interest. The Irish Naval Service plays a key maritime operational support role in assisting our law enforcement agencies in this regard. This is done through the joint task force on drug interdiction which enhances co-operation between An Garda Síochána, Revenue's Customs Service and the Naval Service in enforcing the law in regard to drug trafficking at sea.

I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to another area of co-operation between the Departments, namely the Government task force on emergency planning. The task force is chaired by the Minister for Defence and the Department of Justice and Equality is also represented on it, as are all other Departments and certain agencies, including the Garda Síochána. The Department of Justice and Equality co-operates with the Government task force in agreeing on the lead agency to take charge of the response in the case of an emergency arising. It also co-operates in developing risk assessments related to emergencies and in attending meetings of the Government task force.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently preparing proposals with a view to updating and strengthening policies in the immigrant integration field as part of an overall integration strategy geared to present conditions. It is intended that the Department of Defence will be among the Departments asked to participate in this work.

At a more day-to-day level, a room is provided in the Department of Justice and Equality head office for use by senior staff from the Department of Defence. In addition, since the end of last year the Department of Justice and Equality has further facilitated the Department of Defence by arranging for the opening and closing of a premises in Dublin which is used by its staff.

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