Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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313. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of establishing a cross-Border crime agency as agreed in the fresh start agreement in November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46113/15]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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362. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of the cross-Border crime agency proposed under the fresh start agreement. [46180/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 362 together.

The new Stormont Agreement, A Fresh Start, provides for a concerted effort on the part of both Governments to tackle cross-border organised crime and criminality including that linked to paramilitarism. The Agreement establishes a new Joint Agency Task Force which will have representatives comprised of senior management and operational personnel from the police and revenue services in both jurisdictions, and a range of other law enforcement agencies with a role in tackling cross-border organised crime.

The details of the new Task Force's membership, priorities and resources are currently being finalised. It will be charged with intensifying the current North-South co-operation at both the strategic and operational levels across a range of areas of organise crime that are cross-border in nature, drawing on the resources and expertise of the relevant agencies.