Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times he has met his Northern counterpart with the Garda Commissioner and the Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable since being appointed to office; and if he will give details of the matters discussed. [40130/11]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the work programme of the working group that consists of senior officials of his Department and the Northern Ireland Office, and representatives of various criminal justice agencies North and South; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40131/11]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the cross-Border policing strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40132/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 193, inclusive, together.

I meet regularly with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Minister of Justice, David Ford, and we have developed a close working relationship. One of my first actions as Minister was to travel to Belfast to meet with Minister Ford. The Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI accompanied us at that meeting and shared a frank assessment of the threat posed by the small number of criminal terrorists who continue to operate in both jurisdictions. I met again with Minister Ford, the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI during the Cross-Border Organised Crime Conference which was held late last month when we focused on common issues of concern and actions being taken to counter the cross-Border activities of organised criminal gangs.

I also meet regularly with Minister Ford under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters. This agreement provides for structured co-operation between my Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, and the related criminal justice agencies North and South. There are a number of working groups bringing forward initiatives in this framework which cover a range of criminal justice areas including youth justice, support for victims, forensic science, registered offenders, public protection and criminal justice and social diversity. On 25 November last, I met with Minister Ford in this context and we received an update on the good progress that has been made to date by the various working groups and the ongoing work in building co-operation.

Our meeting took place after we had opened the second annual joint seminar of the probation services of both jurisdictions. The seminar considered a number of shared initiatives aimed at better engagement with offenders and reducing offending, including cross-agency work in managing female offenders and research-sharing with regard to the impact of drugs and alcohol misuse on offending. This seminar is just one practical example of criminal justice organisations coming together to prioritise cross-Border work and share best practices with the aim of enhancing the safety of communities throughout Ireland.

I have stated in this House on previous occasions that co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI remains at the highest level on all aspects of policing activity. The joint Cross-Border Policing Strategy is an excellent example of the close co-operation between the two police forces. It aims to improve public safety throughout Ireland by disrupting criminal activity in both jurisdictions and enhancing the policing capability of both police services. The Cross-Border Policing Strategy indicates the scope of this co-operation and the determination of both police forces to use the tools available to ensure that those who seek to exploit the Border for criminal ends will not succeed.

The joint strategy covers a range of policing areas, including cross-border investigations and operations; intelligence-sharing and security; communications and information technology; training and emergency planning. The implementation of the Cross-Border Policing Strategy is, of course, the responsibility of the Commissioner and the Chief Constable and their respective forces. The high quality and the closeness of the operational co-operation between the two forces at all levels has been instrumental in preventing attacks by paramilitaries and saving lives, and it continues to make an essential contribution to combating criminality on this island.