Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I read in the newspaper this morning that Deputy Mícheál Martin stated in the other House yesterday that the authorities are turning a blind eye to fuel laundering, cigarette smuggling and so on. He admitted that it may be an anecdotal view. Certainly there is that anecdotal view and we also met it recently in our study, before we compiled the report. The truth is that co-operation between the police forces, North and South, is excellent. They have everything short of hot pursuit, which I would not recommend as they do not need it. In the Dundalk region there are 34 Border crossing points and it is difficult to police it all. Our gardaí in that area have received threats from some of these people in the past. Some of these people have obstructed and driven through road blocks. North of the Border, in south Armagh, policing is even more difficult. There is a personnel shortage. One will not find any policemen on the beat or near on the beat. They have armoured vehicles for when they leave their barracks. The place is a fortress.

It is not tolerable that 17 years after the first peace agreement, we have certain crime overlords and drug smugglers openly flouting the law. In this House yesterday some of our colleagues called for debate on the matter. I agree with them on that. It would be useful. I know, following discussion with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Minister for Justice and Equality, that the Government is pursuing these matters with its counterparts in the North and in London. This is subject to ongoing discussion at the level of the British-Irish Ministerial Council, but we should have a debate in this House.