Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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139. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she and-or her officials and the leadership of An Garda Síochána have had engagements with any of their equivalents in Northern Ireland in respect of a centralised intelligence sharing online platform; if any third party has been consulted on delivering same; the cost of same and the third party engaged on the project; and if the Department of an Taoiseach has been consulted in the context of the shared island project. [43467/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that the methods utilised to share intelligence between An Garda Síochána and their counterparts in Northern Ireland are operational matters appropriate to the Garda Commissioner and it is not the practice to comment in detail on intelligence and security matters.

I am, however, pleased to say that there is close, ongoing cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland on a range of policing activities, notably in combating organised crime, ensuring road safety and in resource and capacity-sharing. This is further underpinned by a joint Cross Border Policing Strategy which has as its aims to improve public safety throughout the Island, to disrupt criminal activity and to enhance the policing capability of both police services on the Island. The strategy is currently under review with a view to publishing an updated Cross Border Policing Strategy.

The cross border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF), established under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement, is an excellent example of a successful cross border partnership that works in a practical way on the ground to tackle organised and cross jurisdictional crime. It promotes real-time collaboration between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI in efforts to frustrate, disrupt and dismantle the activity of organised crime groups. It is led by senior officers from An Garda Síochána, Revenue, the PSNI, and HM Revenue and Customs with the Criminal Assets Bureau and the National Crime Agency involved as needed in operational activity. The JAFT reports are produced twice yearly. The most recent report relates to the period October 2023 to March 2024 and highlights a number of specific joint operational successes including in the areas of combatting drug trafficking, people trafficking, and rural crime.

There is also long-standing excellent cooperation between An Garda Síochána and their counterparts in Northern Ireland in counteracting terrorism on the Island. While the reduction earlier this year in the threat level in Northern Ireland from severe to substantial is to be welcomed, the overall level of threat remains of serious concern. Close operational relationships have been key to ensuring security on the Island. They have, and will continue to be central to saving lives and protecting communities. It is vital that this cooperation is preserved and built on for the future and I know that this view is shared by the Garda authorities who will continue to work effectively with their counterparts in tackling crime and promoting safety for all communities on this Island.