Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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229. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the detail of his Department's engagement with a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41480/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Santa Marta Group is a global alliance of international Police Chiefs and religious leaders which partners with civil society and business leaders with the objective of eradicating human trafficking and modern day slavery. Within this Group, Ireland leads the North Atlantic Fisheries Project with the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal, to prevent human trafficking and labour exploitation in the fisheries industry in the North Atlantic.  The Deputy will appreciate there are benefits in exchanging best practice both with policing agencies and civil society organisations in other jurisdictions facing similar challenges, thus informing both policing operations and policy development here.

In Ireland, the stakeholders group is chaired by An Garda Síochána.  Officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department participate as members of this stakeholders group, in accordance with their functions in the areas of anti-human trafficking policy and immigration policy respectively. At the establishment of the Irish stakeholders group, my Department provided funding of €12,900 towards the administrative costs of An Garda Síochána's involvement, with matching funding provided by agencies in other jurisdictions.