Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for briefly nipping out to vote at the finance committee and for being somewhat breathless as a result. I thank Deputy Howlin for taking up as much time as possible but also for talking about a number of key issues that I will briefly refer to regarding this very important amending legislation. Its importance does not just relate to the European arrest warrant but to the amendments being tabled, seeing it passed speedily by the Houses and transposed into Irish law as quickly as possible because nothing is good if it stands still.

There is always an important responsibility on governments and legislators to improve, modernise and reform legislation. If we consider the importance of the European arrest warrant, it has been used nearly 400 times since its inception to bring organised gang members back to Ireland for trial and, in due course, incarceration, and for taking very violent criminals off the streets, not necessarily in Ireland but from their boltholes and places of luxury in exile. We have also seen it, very importantly, not just prevent acts of terror but allow an element of justice for serious acts of terror when we look at the arrests that have been made following the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, the anniversary of which is this week.

A number of colleagues have referred to a couple of areas that are not necessarily directly covered by this legislation but lead us to discuss and think about them. Deputies Ó Murchú and Ó Laoghaire spoke eloquently about the rule of law in other EU member states, namely, Hungary and Poland, and the importance of this Oireachtas and, equally, this Government in tracking that, ensuring that the European arrest warrant will not be abused by Governments in those jurisdictions and that we will not send people back to legal systems that will not protect their rights as well as everything else. It is also crucial that we think quite clearly about the impact of Brexit on the European arrest warrant and the co-ordination of security in this jurisdiction. While it is extremely welcome that the British Government has moved the terror threat in Northern Ireland from severe to substantial for the first time since 2010, it cannot allow for an air of complacency.

Increased co-operation between the Irish and British Governments is important not only to tackle dissent and ongoing terrorism but also to deal with all aspects of criminality, from organised crime to petty crime. I welcome the meeting in the past fortnight between the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, Naomi Long. I hope and expect that after the Assembly elections in May there will be another Northern Ireland Minister of Justice with whom we can have a working relationship because crime knows no borders. We know that in a European context and that it is crucial in the context of this island. That is why it is so important that we do not allow that relationship to weaken after Brexit. There have been arrests in England in recent months of violent and vicious criminals who have been active in this jurisdiction. Ensuring co-operation between An Garda Síochána and British police forces and the PSNI and other state agencies is important but we must also make sure that changes are made in legislation to reflect the profound changes that Brexit presents.

On a wider level, it is important that the existing arrest warrant is strengthened. In six to 12 months we will need to re-examine not only how we are transposing the arrest warrant into Irish legislation but also, from a European perspective, whether it is still fit for purpose in the context of dealing with the greatest number of displaced persons on the Continent since the Second World War. With 10 million people in Ukraine no longer having homes and as the war continues to be vicious, that number will only increase. Sadly, there will be those in the EU who will try to profiteer from their misery, whether by means of human trafficking, organised crime or scams and may prey on innocents, whether it is those fleeing war or the people who receive them or are trying to provide support. We have already seen it. No doubt people have had bogus collectors for Ukraine and refugees call to their doors. The number of these that operate across borders is gobsmacking. That is why we must ensure that the culprits at the centre of such activities can be brought to justice in due course. While I support the speedy passage of this legislation, I call on the Minister of State or his colleagues to tell the next Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting that there must be a plan. Yesterday, when we debated the forthcoming European Council, I made a point about this matter. There is a lot of short-term planning taking place at the moment. That is understandable as a reaction to a crisis and the fact that refugees must be housed immediately and humanitarian aid and support to the Government in Ukraine are needed, with other EU states providing military and lethal support too. However, we must realise that the impacts of this conflict will be with us for some time. That is why there is a responsibility on the Oireachtas, the Government and, in particular, the EU to take that into account in the context of every aspect of how we operate in this State and beyond.

The European arrest warrant has been a success. Deputy Howlin eloquently laid out what things were like before it was put in place, with difficulties in getting extradition orders and in delivering justice for victims. Even today, opportunistic criminals hide in exile in places such as Dubai, South America or further afield, on the run from justice and the consequences of their actions. That is why the EU has a role in working bilaterally with other like-minded jurisdictions to ensure the most modern and efficient processes are in place and that we close these safe havens for criminals. They have been there since the beginning of time. However, as the world gets smaller, there can be no place where someone can hide in defiance and leave behind a legacy of misery and destruction the likes of which most of us cannot fathom.

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