Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

749. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on his engagement with his Northern counterpart Minister Ford. [46011/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am happy to inform the House that I have developed and maintain a close and positive working relationship with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford. We meet very regularly and maintain contact by telephone to address matters of mutual concern with regard to policing and criminal justice on this island. Under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters we operate a structured framework of co-operation between my Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, and the related police services and criminal justice agencies North and South. Personnel from the police and criminal justice agencies work together in bringing forward an annual work programme of co-operation which is established by Minister Ford and me. The work is brought forward by a number of project groups covering such areas as probation, youth justice, victims' issues, forensic science, social diversity and registered offenders. The officials from our Departments also meet regularly to assess and report to us on developments. I will be meeting with Minister Ford in the framework of the Agreement in the very near future.

I also maintain close co-operation with Minister Ford on matters of common interest relating to policing and criminal justice outside of the formal framework of the Agreement. For example, Minister Ford and I recently attended a joint North-South forum on Human Trafficking with representatives from State bodies, law enforcement, NGOs and international organisations representing the island of Ireland, along with delegates from other jurisdictions. The event was organised to mark EU Anti-Trafficking Day on 18 October. Combating the scourge of human trafficking is one of the important areas in which there is close and productive co-operation between the two jurisdictions on this island.

Of course, there is ongoing close co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland on all aspects of policing. The two police services operate a joint Cross Border Policing Strategy which has as its aims to improve public safety throughout Ireland, to disrupt criminal activity and to enhance the policing capability of both police services on the island. The joint Cross Border Policing Strategy includes sections dealing with Operations; Cross Border Investigations; Intelligence-sharing and Security; Information and Communications Technology; Training; Human Resources, and Emergency Planning. The two police services are jointly engaged in implementing a number of initiatives in all these areas. North-South co-operation in combating crime is both positive and dynamic. The challenges that crime presents are shared ones and joint working will continue to support and enhance our efforts to improve community safety for all communities on this island.