Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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78. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has considered the implications for cross-Border co-operation in justice and policing matters in the context of Brexit. [34825/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware the Government continues to prepare to face the challenges and opportunities that are presented by the UK's decision to leave the European Union, including in the field of justice and police co-operation.

I have met with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Claire Sugden, and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, in recent weeks and months and we have had the opportunity to discuss the potential implications for the UK's exit from the EU for North-South co-operation in justice and policing. We are agreed that it is our shared aim to seek to ensure that the current high levels of co-operation on this island can be continued.

There is close and ongoing co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI in respect of all aspects of policing. This co-operation is based firmly on a shared commitment to improving community safety throughout the island of Ireland, to disrupt criminal and terrorist activity and to enhance the policing capability of both police services on the island.

There is also strong ongoing co-operation across the range of criminal justice areas involving the Justice Departments and justice agencies North and South that includes initiatives in respect of forensic science, youth justice, probation and the management of offenders and issues relating to the requirements of social diversity in the justice system.

There is also a range of important areas of civil justice to do with contracts, debt recovery and family law, for example, which are based in EU law and would have particular relevance to the circumstances in which people live and do business on the island of Ireland.

Officials in my Department have been working to identify the principal sectoral impacts and opportunities in the short to medium term and to identify priority actions in terms of policy measures relating to North-South justice and policing co-operation. There has been and will continue to be close interaction with officials in the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland in this regard.

There can be no question about the extent to which EU measures in respect of policing and in the criminal and civil justice fields can support actions to combat crime and to improve community safety and support justice. It is essential, therefore, to work to ensure that the greatest possible levels of co-operation can continue to be maintained.