Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the call by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, for a task force on cross-Border crime to be established as part of any new agreement in the North. The Minister, who is a key member of the talks team, has stated that the talks must produce an outcome that further deepens North-South co-operation in tackling problems such as large-scale smuggling operations, fuel laundering, drug dealing and extortion. It is time to put a stop to the gallop of these criminals who think they are beyond the law. In this regard, the recent extra resources drafted into Louth as a result of the heinous murder of Garda Tony Golden are bearing dividends. The checkpoints adjacent to motorway exits and in the Cooley area have gathered a great deal of information and tracked the movement of many suspicious people, and that is to be greatly welcomed. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, has also said that there is a need to build on the excellent co-operation that already takes place in this regard between North and South and we want to see an enhanced overarching structure in place to support it.Hopefully, in conjunction with the successful conclusion of the Northern talks, this task force will be established. I would like the Minister to come here and outline how the talks are going.

As remarked by my colleague, Senator Terry Brennan, I wish Chief Superintendent Pat Magee of the Louth-Meath division, an amazing and outstanding garda sergeant, inspector, superintendent and chief superintendent, a very happy retirement and congratulate him on the outstanding work he did over many years in Louth and Meath. I wish his wife, Concepta, the same.