Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 39: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider developing a comprehensive evidence-based all-Ireland crime prevention strategy under the auspices of the All-Ireland Ministerial Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11873/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

If I can take the second part of the question first, the North-South Ministerial Council to which I assume the Deputy is referring, was as the Deputy will recall, established under the Good Friday Agreement to implement policy and take forward co-operation on an all-Ireland basis to the mutual benefit of all those who reside here. It is a body to which the Government attaches great importance and one we will continue to support and participate in to the fullest extent.

The North-South Ministerial Council does not at this time have a justice sector. We hope that this is something that will be introduced in the fullness of time. At present co-operation on policing and justice matters is taken forward under the auspices of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding and on an informal basis. Since my appointment as Minister with responsibility for such matters I have been very impressed by the level of co-operation in these areas and by the good relationships which exist between the police forces and the other criminal justice agencies, North and South. I take this opportunity to congratulate David Ford, MLA, on his re-election as Northern Ireland Minister of Justice on Monday. At a very early stage following my appointment I met with David Ford, MLA, and I found that he is someone who is committed to ensuring that we have a co-ordinated approach to addressing issues of mutual concern to all of us on this island in the justice area. I look forward to building on the good work already taking place and to which he has already made such a contribution.

Turning to the question of a crime prevention strategy, since 2009 my Department has been engaged in a major consultative exercise leading to the production of a White Paper on crime. The White Paper will set out a policy framework for future strategies to combat and prevent crime. The development of the White Paper involves an end to end examination of the prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies to combat crime. The intention is that this process would lead ultimately to a national anti-crime strategy. As part of this process, officials in my Department have briefed their counterparts in Northern Ireland on numerous occasions. The regular meetings held under the aegis of the intergovernmental agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters have facilitated these exchanges of views and I intend to meet again with Minister Ford in early June in this regard. The policy areas on which co-operation is taken forward under the agreement include probation and public protection, youth justice and the management of registered sex offenders. It is anticipated that our national anti-crime strategy will reflect the substantial degree of cross-Border co-operation which already exists between the criminal justice agencies North and South, much of which of course would be concerned with crime prevention.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the Minister's comments. I invite him to raise the matter of the development and funding of a comprehensive evidence-based all-Ireland crime prevention strategy with the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr. Ford, MLA, when they meet in June. Is the Department open to such a development and will the Minister pursue the matter?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have no difficulty with what the Deputy suggests.