Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The joint investigation teams are set up for specific criminal investigations between two or more countries within the EU but can also involve countries outside the Union. The joint investigation teams have technical difficulties that prevent them from doing their proper investigation work. They need to make the system secure, particularly for large files. They need to be able to have secure systems to work and share information with bodies like Europol, Eurojust and so on.

A joint investigation team is led by a member from the country in which the investigation team is based, and the law of that country governs the team's activities in showing the big picture, identifying links between related cases and investigations and supporting the secure exchange of information. It probably gives us the security that we can sleep in our beds at night knowing a bigger force is out there looking after us. As part of Europe, we can be comfortable in the knowledge that we will be protected within these proposals when enacted.

The bottom line is that we are protected. The bottom line here is the sharing of sensitive information to make sure this information can get from one system to another without impeding the information going to others. We need to tread carefully with this but I believe it is an important Bill to bring through the House.

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