Written answers

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Department of Justice and Equality

Northern Ireland Issues

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details of the type and frequency of North South engagement his Department undertakes; the current priorities in this area; the number of whole time equivalent staff assigned to these matters; the grades involved and the amount of time each grade spends on North South activities as a proportion of their WTE employment; the co-ordination arrangements that have been put in place; if there are any current vacancies in North South Co-operation unites; the duration of this vacancy and the steps being taken to fill the vacancy. [48549/12]

Photo of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 186 of 24 October 2012, if he will detail further the form of the north south cooperation under the auspices of his Department; and the way his Departmenthis Department is in contact with its northern counterpart. [48555/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 820 and 821 together.

As I stated to the Deputy in my reply to Question No. 186 of 24 October 2012, the work in my Department in relation to North-South co-operation, which arises primarily in the context of criminal justice co-operation, is carried out across a range of Divisions in my Department depending on the nature of the work involved. I am and my officials are frequently and closely engaged with our counterparts in Northern Ireland in respect of a wide range of matters relating to North-South criminal justice co-operation.

The Deputy will be aware that under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters I meet regularly with David Ford to discuss criminal justice matters of mutual interest or concern in the two jurisdictions; to consider the scope for and develop plans to achieve more effective co-operation and co-ordination on criminal justice matters between the two jurisdictions; to oversee and give direction to the work of the Working Group; to exchange information on other criminal justice initiatives taking place in both jurisdictions, and to approve and review progress against the annual work programmes on criminal justice co-operation.

The Agreement established a Working Group of senior officials comprising representatives of my Department, the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and the various criminal justice agencies from both jurisdictions. Its remit is to take forward current co-operation and to identify other areas in which co-operation on criminal justice matters could be enhanced or initiated. A number of project groups are taking forward co-operation initiatives in relation to forensic science, registered offenders, probation and rehabilitation, victim support, youth justice matters and social diversity.

In addition, the officials of my Department maintain close and ongoing contact with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice in regard to the security situation and the ongoing threat posed by republican paramilitarism.

Given that North-South co-operation is an integral and ongoing part of the work of a range of Divisions of my Department, it is not readily possible to disaggregate the relevant proportion of the working time of the officials involved.

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