Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas, a Chathaoirligh. In recent weeks we have seen progress in policing in Ireland. The visibility of policing on our streets has been a welcome change in the post Covid-19 reality and in particular in the night-time economy, which is an issue that has been raised here.

Policing, of course, goes beyond the streets of Ireland. Ireland is involved in Interpol, Europol and other international policing organisations. Later this month, the annual meeting of the Interpol General Assembly will take place, and Ireland will have votes at the assembly. The executive committee will be elected from that assembly and we will get to choose, as one of the constituent nations, who gets to sit on that committee which might be considered the governing body of Interpol.

Interpol is an international policing organisation but the reality is that it has been abused by China in its use of what are called red notices to arrest people that China feels have committed crimes against it, which can be as minor as speaking out against China. This measure is certainly applied to Chinese citizens, dissidents and refugees from, for example, the Uighur population who have fled China. It equally applies to Irish citizens who are the subject of red notices, who can land in a country that one might otherwise think is normal and respects the rule of law but, because of a red notice, will have to arrest that Irish citizen at the airport and consider extradition to China.

The reality is that China has been abusing this system and has been using the red notices to operate a kind of long arm of Chinese quasi-law around the world. This, in reality, is an abuse of its membership of Interpol. We should consider sending a very clear message to the Minister and the Department of Justice that when we vote at that general assembly later this month, we are not supporting the candidacy of the Chinese candidate, Hu Binchen - who I believe is the name of the person that China is putting forward. We should be putting down a very clear line that we do not support this kind of abuse of the red notices’ system within Interpol, which is otherwise a very important mechanism for entrapping international criminals but is currently being abused by China. Gabhaim buíochas.