Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will address the issue of cross-border protection for victims of domestic abuse, where Irish safety orders do not extend to threats or harassment from individuals residing in England; and the steps being taken to improve the enforcement of such orders post-Brexit. [50549/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is absolutely committed to combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) in all its forms, and I am acutely aware that such abuse does not stop at our borders.

The Deputy's question refers to Irish safety orders. Depending on the nature of the order made, it may be possible to seek recognition and enforcement of a safety order or similar order, including one given in Ireland or in the United Kingdom, under the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters in another state which is a party to that Convention.

Both Ireland and the UK are parties to the 2019 Convention.

Where the person named in a safety the order violates it by threatening behaviour such as harassment, the matter should be reported to the relevant police service.

Officials in my Department who work on DSGBV issues regularly engage with their counterparts in the UK and with criminal justice agencies from both jurisdictions

These engagements take place both formally through the Victims Policy Advisory Group and through bilateral meetings to facilitate valuable information sharing and the exchange on best practices to enhance co-operation and consistency in our approach.