Bertie Ahern
Question:165 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice if she will make a statement on the practical implications for Ireland of the establishment of Europol. [14599/96]
Written Answers. - Europol Establishment.
The concept of Europol was formally adopted in the Europol Convention of July 1995 but it will need to be ratified by all 15 national parliaments before it can be put into place. The establishment of Europol will have the following implications: Ireland will be part of Europol and will be required to participate fully in the implementation of Europol policy. This will have staffing implications for the national office in Dublin and Europol headquarters in The Hague. It is expected that additional staff in specialist areas will be required such as computer analysts; Ireland will be required to contribute pro rata to the annual running costs of Europol; work practices, and in some cases laws, will have to be harmonised in members states in order to maximise Europol's effectiveness, and comply with regulations when ratified.