Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, for his opening marks. I also thank Senator Jim Walsh for his contribution. The work carried out by the committee over approximately one year was very interesting. We had many interesting meetings in Dublin, Belfast, Armagh and Louth with all of the relevant authorities, Ministers, North and South, the Garda Commissioner, the PSNI Chief Constable, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Excise people and chief executives from three of the county councils in the Border area, the result of which was 16 recommendations to both Governments.

As outlined by Senator Walsh, the committee heard some startling evidence. In my view three of the 16 recommendations made are central. First, the cross-Border enforcement groups should establish a permanent, full-time task force dedicated to elimination of the activities of organised crime gangs involved in cross-Border illicit trade. Such a force should be provided with seconded staff from all relevant agencies, including environmental and criminal asset recovery agencies and supported by a central dedicated secretariat. As we discovered following what happened in Dundalk and Crossmaglen, the police cannot address this issue on their own. Gardaí in Dundalk have 34 crossing points to police. They are dealing with criminals. These are people who will jump through checkpoints and have driven bulldozers, tankers and other equipment at Garda checkpoints. Tackling this issue is not easy. The Garda need armed backup in some operations. The task force would provide that. Address of this issue requires the involvement of the police, Revenue, CAB and its Northern equivalent, customs and the environmental agencies.

The next issue of concern is the ease with which, once exposed, illegal operations can be transferred to another legal entity, enabling a business-as-usual appearance thanks to the concept of phoenix companies. I had never heard of these companies until the superintendent in Dundalk enlightened the committee about them. In this regard, the committee recommends that legislators in both jurisdictions re-examine company law in an effort to find a way to eliminate such capabilities. The committee believes, as set out in subparagraph (e), that the ultimate beneficiaries and application of proceeds of these crimes can only be addressed through a more focussed and concentrated effort to deal with these cross-Border activities, and thorough Criminal Assets Bureau and National Crime Agency investigation to follow the money trail.

As stated by the Minister of State, on the question of police co-operation there is no problem. Liaison between both is excellent and co-operation has never been better in the history of the State. We saw the ease with which both agencies were able to communicate with each other, be that communications between Dundalk and Belfast, Dundalk and Crossmaglen and so on. While they have very good intelligence they do not have sufficient manpower, North or South. In my view, there is less manpower on the northern side of the Border. We have heard a great deal about nods and winks in the context of the Good Friday Agreement. We do not believe that. There is no need for nods and winks in south Armagh because the police there are confined to barracks. The barracks in Crossmaglen is a fortress. Let us be honest, policing there is not normal. Even getting into the place is difficult, as we found on the day we visited it. It is bomb-proof, having been attacked with machine guns a few years ago. The police located there do not live in the local community. The last policemen from the community who lived there were murdered. Their photographs were shown to us. Policemen live in Portadown and so on.

The criminals involved in this area carry on pretty much regardless. We were shown 12 diesel operating fronts with the necessary back-up facilities for laundering. We were also shown two 40 ft. unmarked tankers at one of the premises, together with many other smaller tankers. Some of the premises also had shops. No doubt, part of these operations are legal, which is a tremendous front.We witnessed at first hand the severe pollution of the Fane river system as a result of the discharge of waste wash from the plants. It was shocking. Across from many areas, we noticed blue, unofficial community alert notices and large monuments erected by former paramilitaries who seem to have some kind of continuing organisation on the ground to the present day. Someone jokingly asked whether I had heard of the B-Specials. When I said that I had, he told me that they had been got rid of with the RUC and that there was now the P-Specials. We can draw our own conclusions. That is what people there believe.

There is more I could say on this matter, but the co-operation has been excellent. Unfortunately, policing in Armagh is light. If a permanent task force is not established, the criminal overlords will be able to continue largely unheeded.